To Catch a Criminal
by Bex-La-Get
Summary: Top Aurors Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger are sent to New York to catch a serial killer. But just as they come to terms with their feelings for each other, they're confronted with more than they bargained for when they're betrayed by someone close to them. Now, it's no longer business; it's personal. All rights belong to JKR.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: I really shouldn't be doing this... but like I said before, I have no self control. This is gonna be different from what you're used to from me: there's going to be some explicit language and some smut. If you don't want to read the smut, I'll put a warning for you so you can skip it if you like. I hope you like it!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 __ **Chapter 1: Draco**

There are only six things on this earth that I am completely sure about.

1) I am most definitely a Slytherin.

2) Despite some very, _very_ poor choices, my father is actually a good dad. Always has been.

3) I risked everything to protect my mother once and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

4) I was a total jackass in school. Yes, I admit that.

5) I have read every book in the Manor library at least once.

6) Despite being a complete git in school, Potter - yes, the one and only Harry Potter - is actually a really good Auror and boss.

You're probably really confused right now, right? Harry Potter, my _boss_? Believe me, had someone told me in school that I'd be working under my school nemesis one day, I'd have blasted them off the planet. But let's backtrack for a second, here.

After the war, I did my time; not Azkaban, thankfully. I got off easy because I was a kid who had been forced to join the Death Eaters at the hands of a lunatic. Instead, I got put on six months probation and had to do eighty hours of some form of community service; I chose to help rebuild Hogwarts. And Potter, bleeding heart that he is, helped out too. While there, we made our peace with each other and actually got to know each other somewhat. After finishing up my community service hours (I was still on probation), I returned to school to retake my last year, as did the Golden Trio (big surprise there).

Potter made a point to continue to play nice however, and, although neither of us will ever admit it outloud, we actually grew to be friends… kind of. There are still days I want to punch those stupid glasses off his face, but I digress. Anyway, right before graduation, Potter started yammering on about what he wanted to do after Hogwarts and tried to get me to talk about what I wanted to do, all to no avail (Seriously. Do I _look_ like a bleeding heart Gryffindor to you? I mean, what was the first bloody I said?). Eventually, he got me talking (I still don't know how) and somehow, he figured out that I had the N.E.W.T scores and the skills to become an Auror. So after his endless chattering about how great it would be to join the ranks of Aurors, I decided to go to the training just to get him to shut up and next thing I knew, I was an Auror; and a damned good one at that. As much as I detested the idea of a Ministry job at first, I have to admit, being an Auror is kind of fun; well, after you get past all the paperwork. I've been able to redeem myself and my family name by all the good work that I've done in this department and I'm happy here.

Potter was named Head Auror a couple years ago (like anyone was surprised) but I'll be the first to admit that he deserves it; yes, even out loud. For all the talk about him being The Boy Who Lived and whatnot, the guy's a good Auror. Half of the criminals that were caught in our first two years alone were by him and, sporting that ridiculous Gryffindor need to be brave, he's thrown himself into some pretty dangerous situations in order to cause a diversion while the rest of our team closed in to attack. I'll be honest, better him than me. I may like being an Auror but I'd rather stick with running my own team rather than the entire department. It's just too much work.

* * *

I knock on Potter's office door, lost in my own thoughts about the most recent case I just finished. Some idiot decided to Imperius a squib into trying to hijack a muggle car. The moron casting the spell was so inept at Unforgivables, however, that we found him within the hour, altered the memories of the muggles involved and returned the squib back to his home with no charges pressed. As I remember something I have to put into my paperwork later, I hear Potter's voice telling me to come in.

I look down at my watch as I enter his office and sigh as I realize I still have another three hours before it's time to go home. I begin to jokingly ask if I can go home early when I look up and stop short, finding that Potter isn't alone. Sitting across from his desk is my partner, Hermione Granger.

Oh, did I forget to mention that?

Granger joined the Auror department a year after Potter and I did (taking a year off after school to study psychology at a muggle university) and, just like everything else she did, she excelled and quickly made her way up the ranks until she was one of the top Aurors in the department next to Potter and myself. After Potter was promoted, she became my partner and, despite our immense dislike for each other in school, we managed to find common ground and actually make a pretty damn good team. Potter jokingly calls us the Lethal Duo but he's not entirely wrong; together, we've caught some of the most dangerous criminals in the wizarding world from serial killers to expert con artists to a lunatic who tried to become the next Voldemort (thankfully, he's locked up in the mental ward at St. Mungo's). With her brains and my ability to think like a criminal (the only good thing that came out of being with the Death Eaters), we've become one of the most powerful Auror teams the department's seen in years.

We're not friends but we're not enemies either. Our relationship stands on a line that neither of us quite know where or what it is but as long as we're not trying to kill each other, we're fine leaving it there. For now.

I furrow my brows and close the door behind me as I sit down in the seat next to Granger. "Potter, what's going on? And what are you doing here, Granger?" I ask.

Potter answers first. "I was just briefing Hermione on a new case I have for you guys. I think you'll find it interesting," he says, handing a case file to me. I take it and begin to flip through it as he keeps talking. "A man named Gabriel Morrison escaped Azkaban a few nights ago and is now on the run. You might recognize his alias: the Gemini Hunter." My head perks up at this. The Gemini Hunter is a power hungry serial killer who kills anyone who stands in his way of ultimate power (which is just about everyone in his eyes). The department had gotten a tip about him shortly after Potter and I started but the former head of the department (incompetent bastard that he was) didn't listen to it, brushing Morrison off as some crazed kid, until it was too late and he killed thirty people in a bombing just outside Devon. He immediately became the department's number one priority to find before he killed anyone else. It would be another year and a half before Granger (who had joined the Aurors by then) had found a pattern in his mannerisms and managed to track where his next attack would be. We sent in a team and after hours of waiting in agony, ambushed him and managed to bring him in to receive trial and be sent to Azkaban.

That was close to three or four years ago now. I hadn't thought about him in forever. How he escaped Azkaban is nerve-wracking because the man was already suggested to be unstable. Merlin knows how he would be after a stint in Azkaban.

"He hasn't killed anyone yet and we want to keep it that way," Potter continues to brief us. "Word is, right now, he's in New York doing God knows what. I fear that he's planning his next attack. I want you two to go to New York, track him down, and bring him back so he can be sent back to Azkaban, this time a full guard watching him 24-7. A team will be sent over with you a few days after you arrive and you'll also be working with some members of the Auror department at the American Ministry. I'd like to do this with as little trouble as possible, got it?" We both nod. "Good. Your portkey leaves Friday morning at 11am. Your housing information is in your file and I want an update on how things are going once a week." We both nod again. "Good. Let's bring this bastard back and put him away for good."

Potter dismisses us and we walk out, case files in hand. I smirk at Granger as we walk back to her office together to discuss the case. "Well, I've always wanted to go to New York. Shame it's for a case, though," I observe.

She returns the smirk. "Well, maybe we'll catch Morrison quickly, leaving you time to tour the city."

I purse my lips at the idea as we walk into her office. "That would be quite nice."

She chuckles and sits down at her desk and I sit down across from her. As she shuffles through the file, I study her for a moment. She's matured quite a bit since Hogwarts, mentally and physically. She's still a know-it-all and, infuriatingly, has this ridiculous hero complex that, I swear, comes standard with being a Gryffindor but she's also relaxed quite a bit. She's no longer uptight and has a pretty damn good sense of humor. But she could still seriously injure you with one word, if she wanted to. Trust me, I've seen it first hand.

That bush she used to call hair actually _looks_ like hair now. She grew it out a bit and managed to discover the wonders of conditioner and even though it's still really curly, it actually makes her look more human now instead of a mad scientist. She also found a way to dress professionally without showing off every single feature of her body (something some of the other female employees here need to learn) and has caught the eye of most of the male population here but she's turned down every single person who's asked her out here.

You're probably thinking because of Weasley, right? Not exactly. Weasley and Granger broke up during our last year of school after a huge fight one weekend. According to the rumors (and Granger, who confirmed the story to me a few years ago), Weasley wanted to get married right after graduation but Granger wanted to focus on her career first. Weasley, insecure moron that he is, took it as a rejection and began to accuse her of not really loving him and whatnot and broke it off right then and there. Devastated, she locked herself in her room for the rest of the weekend and by Monday morning, the entire school knew what had happened. She handled it well, however, and put on a brave face and continued through the rest of the year with her chin up. A year later, Weasley ran off with an old classmate of his sister-in-law's from Beauxbatons (Jacqueline, is her name, I think). They ended up getting married while in France and have stayed there for the past five years until Potter and Ginny's wedding last year (yes, I was invited) when the weasel showed up with his _very_ pregnant wife (Seriously; will that family ever stop breeding?). Surprisingly, Granger handled it very well and seemed to be very happy for her former friend (their friendship never really recovered after that fight).

Which made what happened later that night between us so much easier.

Yep. Granger and I slept together the night of Potter's wedding. And let me tell you, that was _the best_ one night stand I've had in well, ever. I'm completely serious. We started off with playful banter which turned to full-fledged flirting which led to shagging her brains out at her flat all night (and even that next morning). She broke it off that Monday, though, before we could ever talk about it, saying that she felt we should keep our relationship completely professional. Idiot that I was at the time, I agreed because I couldn't stop thinking about that night. One year later and I still can't.

Which leads me to the dilemma that I'm stuck in right now. I lied when I said that there are only six things that I'm certain about. I should have said that there are seven.

7) I, Draco Malfoy, reformed Death Eater, one of the top Aurors in the Ministry, and former Slytherin, am madly, insatiably, and passionately in love with Hermione Granger.

* * *

 ** _P.S. Bet you thought it was Drarry for a quick second at the beginning, didn't you? Sorry guys. While I find Drarry hilarious, I'm a Dramione girl through and through._**

 ** _Please Review!_**

 ** _Stay Golden!_**


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Storytime! Last week, I'm sitting on the patio of the Student Union Building (SUB) at my university when the umbrella on the table (that I already had trouble keeping up a few minutes earlier) closes on itself and in the process, it completely KILLED my laptop. I think it goes without saying that I was/am pissed. I called the university and spoke to a couple different people so I'm hoping to be able to make a claim soon. On the bright side, my parents lent me some money and helped me buy a new laptop and it came in today! Shoutout to Google for making computers that automatically connects to all my stuff through my Google account. But anyway, I'm waiting to hear from someone from the state to talk to about the incident but at least I have a working computer again. It did put me behind on this story, however, so don't expect frequent updates for the time being. I just had to tell you guys that story because of how insane it is. I mean, of all ways for my laptop to go, it dies from an umbrella? Seriously? Mary Poppins wouldn't be very happy about that...**_

 _ **Anyway, story over. Thanks for the reviews, guys. Please keep them coming!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Hermione**

"Malfoy," I say.

He doesn't respond.

"Malfoy."

Nothing.

"Draco!"

He snaps out of his thoughts. "Sorry, what?"

I furrow my brows. "You okay?" I ask.

He nods and pinches the bridge of his nose. He does that when he's distracted. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about this case." Liar. We might have been partners for only two years but I know him well enough to know when he's lying. He makes fun of me for being an open book but he's not as stoic as he likes to think he is. Every now and then, something slips through the cracks and his eyes betray his unemotional face. I never push him, though. If he wants to talk about what's on his mind, he does. If not, I don't pursue the topic because it's not my business. We're not really friends after all. Well, kind of, but it's hard to be friends with someone who doesn't open up that much but what can I expect? He's not a "bleeding heart Gryffindor" (his words, not mine).

He's been getting lost in thought a lot more lately. Ever since we slept together, if I'm being honest. Yes, I noticed that it started after that because he's usually very focused but every now and then, he just gets this glazed look in his eyes and goes somewhere I can't figure out. He used to be focused all the time but now it seems to be slipping. I wish he'd just talk to me about what's been bothering him because maybe then I could help, but as I'm sure you've figured out, he doesn't like to talk about his feelings. Ever. It's quite frustrating.

I purse my lips but shrug, dropping it for now. "How do you think Morrison got out of Azkaban?"

Draco shrugs. "Beats me. Maybe he paid off a guard."

"With what? Prison food?" I scoff. "His bank account at Gringotts was frozen while he was on the run then completely shut down after he was put away. He has no money to pay a guard off with, nor does he have a wand. That was confiscated for evidence during his trial then broken… or," I pause as I go back over the file. "At least it was supposed to have been…"

He leans forward, noticing my change in demeanor. "What do you mean 'supposed to have been?'"

I feel the panic begin to rise as I look over the file again and seeing the missing link. I look up to Draco and see my panicked expression reflected in his grey eyes. "What's wrong?" he asks.

"The wand," I whisper.

"What wand? Granger?" he asks but I barely hear him as I run out of my office and back down to Harry's. I can hear Draco running after me and calling my name but all I can focus on is the wand. Morrison's wand. Oh Merlin, please let me be wrong.

I barge into Harry's office without knocking, Draco right on my tail, startling my best friend and but before he can ask what's wrong, I slam the paper I'm holding onto his desk. "I need access to all of the records and evidence regarding Morrison's trial. Now."

"What, why?" Harry asks.

I point to the inventory slot on the page and he looks at it. "His wand, Harry. His wand was confiscated but there's no confirmation on whether or not it was destroyed."

"I was told it was," Harry starts to say.

"But there's no written confirmation. Harry, think about it: how did he get to New York?" Harry opens his mouth to answer but nothing comes out as he realizes what I'm saying. "When exactly did he escape Azkaban?"

"Uh… Four days ago."

"When did you get word that he was in New York?"

His breathing becomes audible as the pieces start to come together. "That same day..."

"Harry, you and I both know that the only way that someone could get to New York that fast is by portkey. It doesn't matter if he has knowledge of muggle transportation, a plane _and_ a boat would take hours or _days_ to get there while a portkey could get you there in minutes. Harry, if he used a portkey to get to New York, that means he has a wand! _His_ wand!"

"Holy shit," I hear Draco say behind me and, at this moment, there are no better words that I could use to describe what we've just found out.

Harry stands up and grabs the paper. "Come on!" he says, running out of his office, Draco and I following close behind. We get to the elevators and I press (more like hold) the button down until the doors shut and we're taken down to the case file vault. I've never experienced a longer ride in an elevator. I start to pace back and forth, trying to keep my nerves down, when I'm thrown to the side from the lift changing directions. Before I crash into the wall, however, Draco catches me and holds my shoulders while looking into my eyes.

"Are you alright?" he asks and I know he's not asking about my being thrown. I know he can see my stress starting to rise as we get closer to the vault and, try as I might, I can't control it. I want to think positive. I want to think that it was a misprint and that Morrison's wand really was destroyed. But I'm the smartest witch of my age for a reason and I have this terrible feeling in my gut that tells me that there won't be a wand in that vault.

I nod at Draco, who I can tell doesn't believe me, but he lets me go anyway. I have to admit, he's a pain in the ass sometimes but we understand each other. I don't push him when he doesn't want to talk and he doesn't push me. I appreciate that, especially in times like right now where I'm worried that if I voice my fears, they'll become that much more real. I look over to Harry and I can see that he's thinking the same thing.

 _Please let there be a wand in that damn case_.

When the lift finally stops in the inventory vault, I practically fly off the damn thing and run down to the M section where I know Morrison's case is. Just as I find his name and I'm about to rip the case off the shelf, a pair of hands grab my shoulders and turn me around and I'm faced with a pair of fierce grey eyes. "Granger, wait."

I try to pull myself away from his grip. "We can't wait!" I yell. "Malfoy, if there's no wand in that vault, that means that Morrison still has it which means we're in huge trouble!"

"I know that but panicking isn't going to help us right now. I know you're scared and to be honest, I am too. I am just as aware of what this means if Morrison has his wand. But we can't do anything until we confirm; I will not open that case until you calm down, though. I need you to breathe."

See what I mean when I said we understand each other? He knows how to get me to calm down when I'm panicking. It's moments like right now that I wish I had been in Slytherin so that I would better know how to control my emotions like Draco. I don't know how he does it but if he ever feels like sharing, I'll be all ears.

I close my eyes and take a couple of deep breaths before feeling far more calm than I was a moment ago. When I open my eyes again, I look back into Draco's eyes and see something in there that I can't place but he lets me go and begins to focus on the case on the shelf, prohibiting me from trying to figure it out. As he shuffles through the case, I notice that we're one short.

"Where's Harry?"

"He went to talk with O'Malley and look into the books to see if Morrison's wand was ever checked into the vault."

I nod and continue to take deep breaths in order to calm myself. My calm doesn't last long, however, as Draco freezes then sighs and looks up at me with defeat in his eyes. I know what it means. There's no wand in the case. And when I see Harry walking towards us, a mix of anger and defeat on his face, I know that it wasn't destroyed.

This case just got a whole lot more complicated.

"I need you two to go home," Harry says as he approaches us.

"What? Why?" I ask.

"I'm sure you've figured out that Morrison's wand was never destroyed." We nod. He takes a deep breath before speaking again, trying to keep his anger under control. "You two need to get to New York as soon as possible so I updated your portkey. Go home and pack a bag. You leave in two hours."

* * *

The next hour is a blur. I apparated home as quickly as possible, threw practically my entire closet into my suitcase along with any and all toiletries I would need (I nearly forgot my toothbrush at one point). While packing, I called Ginny and asked if she and Harry wouldn't mind taking Crookshanks while I was gone and, Merlin bless that woman, she agreed wholeheartedly and promised to stop by after work to pick him up.

After a lot of running, cursing, and slamming into walls from not stopping soon enough, I'm fully packed and flooing back to the Ministry. When I get there, I run (well, walk really fast since it's hard to run with a suitcase) back to Harry's office to meet up with Draco before we leave. He's already there when I arrive and he smirks at my frazzled appearance. I scrunch my nose at him then shrink my suitcase with my wand before dropping it into my purse then do the same for Draco's luggage.

As Harry leads us to the transportation department to get to the portkey, he updates us on what information he got while we were packing. "We believe Morrison has a man on the inside who's been helping him. We think this person's been helping him for years. We think they faked the records, saying that Morrison's wand was destroyed and that Morrison and whoever his partner is planned his breakout from Azkaban and helped him get to New York. The Ministry has been shut down and no one has been allowed to enter or leave the building except you two. You've been given special permission by the Minister since you're going after Morrison. We're going to interrogate every single employee here and try to figure out who the mole is."

We've reached the portkey now. Draco nods to Harry and walks over to the portkey but waits for me before grabbing it. I turn back to Harry and pull him into a hug. "Good luck," I say as I pull out of our embrace.

"You too," he says, smiling weakly at me.

I walk over to Draco and begin to grab the portkey but Harry's voice stops me. "One more thing," he says. We turn to look at him. "There's an Auror from the American Ministry that has been assigned to work with you two." He chuckles at Draco's grimace. "Don't be so quick to judge, Malfoy. I think you'll like him."

And with that, Draco and I grab the portkey and feel that familiar tug as we're whisked off to New York.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: So, just went through the first read through for the show that I'm in at my University and I'm so freaking excited! It's called**_ **T** **he Seagull** _ **by Anton Chekov (read at your own risk; not a very fun story) and I love my cast! It's going to be so much fun! Anyway, rehearsals start soon so I'll try to keep working on this as often as I can but my schedule might crack down a bit more, making it a bit harder to write but I'm gonna try anyway! Wish me luck!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Draco**

We land in a room that looks strikingly similar to the one that we just left: tiled floors, white walls, a few desks, and people wandering around here and there. The biggest difference is the person standing in front of us.

"Blaise?" I ask, looking at the familiar dark wizard in front of us.

He smirks. "The one and only."

I chuckle and walk towards him. We give each other a brief hug before pulling back to look at each other. "What are you doing here?" I ask. "Last I heard, you were in Sydney."

He shrugs. "I got transferred to the New York division about six months ago. Perfect timing to be completely honest, considering I was about to be in some major trouble with my partner."

I roll my eyes. "Did you sleep with his wife?"

"Nope; his husband," he replies, still smirking before turning his attention to Granger, ignoring my slightly surprised expression. Granted, I can't say I'm too surprised. Blaise is someone who doesn't care if you're male or female; as long as you have a libido, you're fair game. "Hermione, you're as beautiful as always," he says as he kisses her hand and I have to bite back the jealousy I can feel rising in my gut.

She rolls her eyes and smirks. "Hello Blaise. Still the charmer, I see."

"Always," he winks and I can feel the jealousy turning into bile in my throat. See, Blaise has always been a casanova; that much comes standard being a Zabini. And, usually, I have no problem with it but when it comes to the woman I love (and yes, I know that I have no idea whether or not she feels the same about me), that's where I draw the line and it's taking every ounce of self control I have right now not to rip that stupid smirk off his smug face.

"Any chance you'd take me up on my offer of dinner that I asked you the last time we saw each other?" he flirts with her. I begin to take a deep breath in order to keep my cool.

She gives him a small smile. "Blaise, you know as well as I do that my answer has not and will not change. I'm flattered by your offer but I must decline." I can feel myself relax as she rejects him for what must be the fifth or sixth time (he really doesn't know how to take a hint sometimes). Blaise also joined the Auror department when Potter and I did but transferred to the international division of the department, allowing him to travel to different countries and work in the Auror department at each respective Ministry. He's come back a few times since his initial transfer and has consistently asked Granger out but, to my relief, she's clearly not interested and always rejects him. He takes in stride, though and smiles at both of us.

"Worth a shot," he said. "Let me show you where you'll be staying." He leads us out of the Ministry and out onto the busy streets of New York City. Immediately, Granger and I are in awe of the city; sure, London's huge but New York is _massive_. The skyscrapers look to be as tall as the tallest tower (probably taller) in Hogwarts and there are so many people, I almost lost Granger and Blaise as soon as we walked out of the building. Genius that she is though, she grabs my hand to keep us from getting separated and the gods be damned if I let it go any time soon.

I frown as Blaise takes her other hand but suddenly I feel the familiar tug from behind my belly button and next thing I know, we're apparating. When I feel my feet on the ground and my surroundings stop spinning, I notice that we're now in front of a large building with more windows than I can count. My head hurts just trying to see the top of the building.

"Your flat's on the top floor," I hear Blaise say and frown as I feel Granger's hand leave mine. I follow the two of them into the building and into the elevator. The ride up to the top floor is quiet as Granger takes our luggage out of her bag and returns it to its normal size. I nod my thanks to her as she hands me my suitcase and a moment later, the elevator stops. We walk off and Blaise leads us down to the end of the hall before he stops at a door and unlocks it. He smirks at us before opening the door. "Welcome to New York."

Both of us gasp as we walk into the flat. It's _huge_! As you walk through the front door, you're faced with a spacious living room with ceiling to floor windows and a grand piano in the corner. There's a professional chef's kitchen off to the right and a small powder room on the other side of the living room next to a small laundry room. Off to the left is a staircase that leads to a second story. Granger begins to climb the steps and I follow close behind.

Once again, we're left breathless. At the top of the stairs is a loft with floor to ceiling bookshelves full of books, a grand brick fireplace, and two french doors that lead to a balcony with a gorgeous view of the city. We walk down the hall to find two master bedrooms complete with their own ensuite. Each bedroom has a king sized four poster bed, a large walk-in closet, and two large french doors that lead to a conjoined balcony shared by both bedrooms.

This place is incredible and far more than I expected the Ministry to give us while on a case. I drop my suitcase off in my room and head back downstairs to speak with Blaise but it seems that Granger beat me to it. "Blaise, how exactly are we supposed to afford this?" she asks.

"The Ministry's covering it; rent, utilities, and even _cable_ are all being covered for the next six months while you're on your case."

"What if it takes longer than six months?" I ask.

"The Ministry will extend payments for another six months and continue to do so until you catch your man and your case is finished."

"You've been briefed on our case, then?" Granger asks.

He nods. "You have a team that will be arriving within the next day or so and they'll receive their own accommodations. In the meantime, I highly recommend that you memorize the case file cover to cover. The more we know about Morrison, the better. I'll keep you posted if anything from our Ministry comes up and I'm told Potter has connection to your floo if he needs to contact you (which I'm assuming he will). If you need me for anything, my floo is also connected to your fireplace and my phone number is on the fridge." (Side note: most of the wizarding world knows what a cell phone is considering they're a pretty standard form of communication these days and many, if not all, wizards have one now).

Blaise hands us two keys. "These are the only copies of the keys to the flat so don't lose them." He beings to walk to the door. "Get some rest, study your files, and I'll see you two in a couple of days. Au revoir!"

As Blaise leaves, we look to each other, unsure of what we should do now. "Well," she says, "I think I'm going to start on reading the file. Care to join me?"

I shake my head. "Not right now. I'd like to check out that library upstairs."

She nods in understanding. "Suit yourself."

She wanders back upstairs and into her room, closing the door behind her. I decide to change out of my work robes before breaking into those books and silently climb the stairs and head into my room. I can hear Granger shuffling around in her room and I smile to myself, briefly, as I think about the fact that I'll get to live with her for the next month or more, depending on how long it takes to catch Morrison. Maybe while we're working, I'll be able to figure out her feelings for me and get her to reconsider her choice to keep our relationship professional…

But for now, I change into some more comfortable clothing and walk back into the loft and begin to scan the books on the shelves before I pick one by a muggle author that I'm familiar with: Shakespeare. And, before you ask, I spent a lot of time in the library my last year at Hogwarts and found a couple of muggle books in there, one of them being a Shakespeare play: _Henry IV Part One_ to be exact. I decided to read it just for the hell of it and was immediately sucked in. As soon as I finished that one, I read it's sequel, then _Henry V_ , then just continued from there. The one I picked off the shelf is one I haven't read yet, however: _Romeo and Juliet_. Hm.

I sit down on the couch and begin to read:

 _Two households, both alike in dignity,_

 _In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,_

 _From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,_

 _Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean._

 _From forth the fatal loins of these two foes_

 _A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;_

 _Whole misadventured piteous overthrows_

 _Do with their death bury their parents' strife._

A tragic love story… wonderful. I shrug and continue to read anyway. Maybe this will be more interesting than what the opening lines suggest...

* * *

Next thing I know, I'm being shaken awake.

"Draco," I hear.

I groan and try to push the voice away with my hand but instead all I hear is a soft chuckle. "Draco, wake up," I hear again.

Finally, I open my eyes and see Granger's face staring back at me with a small smirk on her lips. It takes everything I have not to grab her and snog her senseless right now. Instead, I groan and run my hands through my hair.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," she jokes.

I sit up and yawn. "How long was I asleep?"

She shrugs. "A couple hours, I think." She looks down to the floor and smiles as she bends down to pick up the book that I must have dropped when I fell asleep. She turns it around in her hands. " _Romeo and Juliet_? I never pegged you for a tragic romance type of guy, Draco."

I shrug. "We're all full of surprises."

She chuckles and hands the book back to me. "Go wash up; dinner's ready."

She walks back downstairs and I wander into the ensuite in my room. I splash some water onto my face to wake myself up before going downstairs. As I approach the kitchen, I'm suddenly overwhelmed with the wonderful smell of roast chicken and baked potatoes. Granger's standing over the stove, pulling the chicken out of the oven and I smile at the sight. I've never been one for a woman who is a homemaker; I don't want someone who's going to be there at my every beck and call, someone who spends all day baking pies and making dinner for her husband. I'd rather have someone who is their own person and works if they so choose and, even if they work long hours, I'd be okay if we ended up just calling in a pizza at the end of the night and ate it out of the box; but I have to admit, seeing Granger work in the kitchen makes me want her to be the woman that I come home to every night more than ever.

She senses my presence and smiles at me as I walk into the kitchen. "I didn't know you could cook, Granger," I muse.

She shrugs. "Well, we're all full of surprises," she quotes me from earlier and winks.

I smirk at her. "Where'd all the food come from?"

"The fridge was fully stocked," she explains and hands me a small note. "Courtesy of Blaise, of course."

I chuckle and read the note Blaise left us.

 _Bonjour mon cheri (and Draco) and welcome to New York!_

 _I hope you find your new living space cozy. I've taken the liberty of stocking your fridge and cupboards with everything that I could think of (be sure to check out the cupboard above the toaster). The cupboards beneath the counters have been stocked with pots and pans galore, the dishes are in the far left cupboard and there's silverware in the drawer closest to the pantry._

 _I also decided to spoil you two a bit and fill up the far right cupboard with the finest of drinks this side of the Atlantic (with a few familiar favorites from our side of the world). I hope that it is to your satisfaction. Don't have too much fun with the drinks, though; remember, you are here to work and if the British Ministry finds out that I let two of their top Aurors get wasted, I'd be in big trouble (and America is starting to grow on me so we don't want that to happen)._

 _See you soon! Au revoir!_

 _\- Blaise_

I laugh at his note. "He always was one for flare." I furrow my brows as my eyes scan the note again. "What's in the cupboard above the toaster?" I ask.

She smirks and nods her head in the general direction of the cupboard. "Take a look for yourself."

I walk over to the cupboard she gestured to and almost fall over when I open it. "Merlin's beard…" I say. The cupboard is full of the biggest array of teas, hot chocolates, and… "Is that coffee?" I ask.

She nods. "Americans _love_ it. Granted, I love it too, so I can't complain much."

I scrunch my nose. "I had it once. It tasted like crap."

She laughs. "You must have had some terrible coffee, then, because the kind of coffee that's in there is some of the highest quality money can buy."

I shrug and close the cupboard. "We'll see," is all I say.

She smirks and places two plates full of food on the dining table before opening up the cupboard full of the liquor the Blaise gave us. She pulls out two bottles and looks at me. "Firewhiskey or wine?"

"Firewhiskey," I say without hesitation.

She rolls her eyes and places both bottles on the counter then pours a glass of Firewhiskey for me and a glass of wine for herself. We sit down at the table and dig into the food and we small talk for a while. I won't lie, I hate small talk; but I always find myself doing it with Granger. It's just something that comes naturally with her and, oddly enough, I'm comfortable with it. She seems to be too.

"So," she says, "Blaise."

I try not to tense. "What about him?"

"Was there ever a time when he wasn't a casanova?"

I relax and smirk. "No. Ever since we were kids, Blaise has always been trying to woo some girl or other. It was only after we got into Hogwarts that he started to expand his preferences to guys too. By fourth year, he was into anyone with a libido."

She smirks. "Was he ever into _you_?"

I nearly choke on my Firewhiskey at the question. " _Why_ would you ask something like that?"

She shrugs and I can see she's struggling not to laugh. "It's a genuine question! You said he's into anyone with a libido and I'm wondering if anyone also included his best mate?"

I narrow my eyes at her and take another swig of my drink. I almost fall over when I hear the word escape my mouth before I can process it in my head. "Once."

This time, _she_ nearly chokes on her drink. "What? When?"

I groan. _Why_ did I say that? _Why_? I consider her before speaking again. "If I tell you, you have to promise me that you won't go running to Potter and tell him. Or Ginny, for that matter."

She puts her right hand up, still smirking. "I swear on my honor as a Gryffindor, anything you tell me will not leave this room."

I raise an eyebrow. "Somehow, that doesn't make me feel better," I joke. She playfully slaps me and I dodge it and laugh. "Okay, so it was second year," I begin. "Blaise was starting to notice his change in… sexual preference and he was expressing his frustrations to me and, twelve year old twerp that I was, I completely disregarded it, thinking that he was crazy and whatnot. Next thing I knew, he was…" I hesitate. "He kissed me. There, I said it."

She muffles her laugh with her hand. "What did you do?"

"I kind of went into shock. I wasn't sure _what_ to do."

"What happened afterwards?"

I shrug. "Nothing. We went to bed and never spoke of it again. Next thing I knew though, Blaise was into _everyone_."

This time she doesn't hold back her laughter. "What's so funny?" I ask.

She shakes her head. "I'm just thinking that you were Blaise's confirmation for him being… well, Blaise."

I cough swallowing my drink as I realize what she's saying. "Don't _ever_ let that leave this room!" I gasp.

She laughs. "I already promised I won't tell anyone. And you know I'm a woman of my word."

I groan and put my head in my hands. This conversation got far too out of hand for my liking. With a tap of my wand, my glass refills itself and I take another swig. "Can we talk about something else now, _please_?" I practically beg.

She chuckles and nods. "So, I was going over Morrison's file," she begins and I try not to groan again. I don't know why I'm surprised. This woman goes over _everything_ with a fine tooth comb and I fail to see why she would treat the Morrison file any differently. I take another swig of my drink. "And?"

"I found that he's not particularly big on subtly."

I furrow my brows. "What do you mean?"

"Morrison isn't in hiding. I found that the man likes to hide in plain sight; and, in America, that's particularly easy since no one in this country knows him; well, except us. Anyway, I called Blaise while you were asleep and asked him to do some digging for me and he sent me back everything that the American Ministry has on him. Apparently, Morrison is a bit of a creature of habit and tends to stay in one area of the city."

"That seems a bit odd for this guy," I muse.

"Exactly," she nods. "For someone as volatile as him, staying in one area just doesn't match his personality. But then I got to thinking that maybe he's staying in one area because he's planning his next attack."

This piques my interest and I lean forward. "You think that's what he's doing?"

"Maybe not immediately but it's the only thing that makes sense. That, and maybe his accomplice is here in the country with him and they're staying in a specific area in order to… I don't know, keep tabs on each other and monitor our Ministry to see if we're after them."

"Morrison's no fool. He'll know that we're going to come after him."

"Which leads me to my next point: Morrison will know that the Ministry will be pursuing him but, if I'm right, he'll be expecting an army; not three Aurors and a small team. Which gives us an advantage."

I purse my lips. "In a way, yes, but this is a man who is potentially a flight risk and incredibly volatile. We have to work carefully if we want to catch him."

She nods. "Which is why I'm thinking we don't ambush him immediately. I want to talk to the team about this but I'm thinking that we set a monitoring team of sorts around the general area he's believed to be in. They'll watch his every move from every available vantage point and, if we can, find a way to bug him so we can hear him too."

I nod in agreement. "I think that's a really good idea."

She smiles at me and I try not to melt.

* * *

 _ **P.S. The plan will be explained more in full in the next chapter, but if you have any questions about the plan or anything else, feel free to ask me on Tumblr: im-hurricane-drunk**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Not gonna lie, I was spoiled with how much writing time I had during the summer 'cause my only commitment was work. Now, it's school, the upcoming show, other school commitments, AND work! Gah! I miss my unlimited writing time... oh well. I'm gonna push through and keep writing as often as I can because I have so many ideas for this story and I can't wait to get to them. Anywho, happy Sunday!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Hermione**

Three days later, Draco and I are in a conference room at the American Ministry with Blaise and our team (a mixture of Aurors and analysts from both the U.K. and U.S. Ministries) and I'm expanding on my idea of watching Morrison. "I want someone on every side of the general perimeter where he is. I want a couple of people on the ground to be undercover, dressed like regular New Yorkers; maybe one's a homeless person and the other is in a suit and tie. You pretend like you're doing what you would do in that situation but I want you watching for Morrison at all times. I want to know everything he does: where he goes at night and during the day, who he talks to. If he so much as bloody _sneezes_ , I want to know about it. This is a man that we cannot take lightly. He's dangerous, volatile, and power hungry. We believe he's planning another attack and I want to do everything we can to prevent it. That means, in the words of Mad-Eye Moody, 'constant vigilance.'" There's some chuckling around the table and I smirk. "I want to take him down when he least expects it. I want him to feel safe and then we ambush him."

I lay a map out on the table and mark points onto it as the team looks on. "According to our most recent information, Morrison is living in Greenwich Village. I want watch crews set up here, here, and here at all times. If we can, I also want a bird's eye view; see if we can see anything from that view that we might miss from the ground. Are there any questions?" No one says anything. "Good. Your specific assignment is in your file. Go speak with Head Auror Teigan about how to set up the watch crew. Blaise, Draco, if I could speak with you privately please."

We split up and Blaise leads Draco and I to his office. After we walk in, he closes the door and gestures for us to sit down across from his desk and we comply. He laces his fingers together before looking at me. "What's up?"

"How do you two feel about art?" I ask.

Draco does a double take. "I'm sorry? What does art have to do Morrison?"

"Everything, actually." Both men look at me confused so I continue. "If either of you had actually read the updated files I gave you, you'd know that Morrison is a connoisseur of fine art."

Blaise raises an eyebrow. "So?"

I try not to roll my eyes. " _So_ , I did some digging in the muggle newspaper and I found that there's an art show two weekends from now in the Upper East Side. And a _nice_ art show at that."

Both men just stare at me, still not getting what I'm talking about. I groan. "Don't you two get it? This is one of the biggest art shows of the _year_. Which means that there's an incredibly high chance that Morrison will be there!" Recognition shows in both of their eyes and I have to resist the urge to smack them both upside the head. "I'm thinking we stake it out. The three of us go inside the show and watch him while we set up the team to keep watch outside and in other areas of the building."

"You just want to watch him?" Blaise asks.

I nod. "Like I said, I want him to feel safe; I want him to think that he's in the clear from our Ministry. The more comfortable he gets, the sloppier he'll be. He'll start to slip and make mistakes; small but mistakes nonetheless. In the meantime, we wait. He'll make a big slip-up eventually, and we'll be ready. We'll ambush him, take his wand away, destroy it on the spot, then take him back to London to be sent back to Azkaban with a guard watching him 24/7."

"What about his accomplice?" Blaise asks and I hesitate. That's the one wild card that's more dangerous than Morrison himself, and that's saying a lot. We don't know who his accomplice is: it could be someone incredibly stupid who Morrison's only using until they've fulfilled their purpose _or_ it could be someone of equal or higher intelligence than Morrison and, for all we know, Morrison is just the puppet while his accomplice is pulling the strings. Doubtful, but still a possibility.

I sigh. "I don't know," I confess. "It's hard because we have no idea who it is, let alone if they're even in the country. I'm going to have Miranda do a thorough analysis and background check on everyone Morrison talks to and see if maybe we can start to slowly put two and two together about who's been helping him. If anyone goes into the flat he's staying in, other than him, it will also help us narrow down our search." (Side note: Miranda Prentice is one of the top analysis experts in the U.S. Ministry. If anyone can figure out who the accomplice is, it's her).

Draco nods in agreement. "Considering we don't have anything else to run with, it's a good start."

Blaise purses his lips, as if he's thinking about something but doesn't voice it and nods instead. "Agreed."

* * *

Draco and I are sitting at a small cafe in Greenwich Village, looking like a normal couple on a date, while a variety of the team members are wandering around the area. There's a couple members dressed as homeless men, three dressed up in business attire, each chatting on a phone, and Draco and myself. Everyone else is keeping watch from a nearby building with Blaise, keeping eyes and ears open in case something odd is done or said that those of us on the ground miss.

Draco's looking over the local Wizard newspaper ( _A New York Minute)_ while I sip my coffee and people watch. "Anything interesting?" I ask him casually.

He continues to read the paper. "Not particularly. Yourself?"

I scan the crowds of people and don't see anything out of the ordinary. "Not particularly," I repeat. He chuckles and reaches for my hand. I meet him halfway and entwine our fingers together, trying to control my breathing as I do so.

There's something I should probably tell you: I am madly in love with Draco. I have been for I don't even know how long anymore. The feelings kind of just came out of nowhere and I couldn't suppress them no matter how hard I tried. Then came the night of Harry and Ginny's wedding and just taking one look at Draco in that muggle tuxedo and I knew I was done for. It didn't even matter that Ron and his pregnant wife decided to show up after being gone for five years that night; I couldn't take my eyes off Draco.

And then when I got him home, _Merlin,_ I will cherish that moment for the rest of my life. That was the best night of my life and even the next morning was just as fantastic as the night before. I can still feel his lips on mine, the feel of his fingers discovering every inch of my body, the sound of his voice whispering sweet nothings into my ear all night… I shiver as I think about that night and Draco looks up and raises an eyebrow at me. I shake my head. "Just had a chill," I say. He shrugs and goes back to reading the paper, his fingers still entwined with mine.

I was such a fool to tell him that we should keep our relationship professional. I did it for such a stupid reason too: I was scared. I was scared that if I let him in, he would eventually hurt me just like Ron did and I didn't want to go through that again. Looking back on it now, I realize that I should have just taken a leap of faith and pursued a relationship with him… But now, it's too late. If he had any feelings for me at the time, they've probably faded by now. I sigh, internally, and just enjoy the feeling of my fingers entwined with his. Maybe he might not feel the same about me as I do him, but at least I can cherish that memory us together for that one night.

I'm pulled out of my reverie as I spot something in the crowd; or should I say some _one_. Morrison. At first glance, he's not much to look at: dirty blonde hair, brown eyes, tall and lanky, and, frankly, looks like he would lose in a fist fight. But, as we know, looks can be deceiving and this man is no different. He's wandering down the street, grocery bags in hand; to the average person, he'd look like someone coming home from the store, but to us, even an orange could be considered deadly.

I tap my ear and turn on the Wizard equivalent to an earpiece. A couple of the analysts are muggle-borns, like myself, and found a way to create something similar to a muggle earpiece with a microphone built in that the muggle FBI or MI6 would use while undercover. They've come to be quite handy while we're all in different areas. "Look alive, people. The Gemini has been spotted," I say.

Draco keeps reading the paper but I can see in the way that his shoulders tense, he heard me. I squeeze his fingers, and I see him relax slightly and I smile a bit. We know how to keep each other calm at work but under these circumstances, it'd be hard to get him to just sit and breathe without attracting attention so I'm glad to see that my small gesture worked. I look at him while speaking. "Z, you have visual?"

"Crystal clear, G," I hear Blaise say. "Want to move in?"

I shake my head. "No; remember, we want him to feel safe and like he's in the clear. We ambush him now, we risk the chance that he'll get away and flee the country. Just keep visual for now." Blaise grunts in confirmation and I chuckle. I know he doesn't like my idea of letting Morrison wander around freely but he also knows I'm right. Morrison is far too clever to let his guard down just yet. But give it time and he'll slip. I'm sure of it.

Morrison wanders out of my line of sight and down a side street to head to his flat. "Q, you see anything?" Ryan Quentin; Auror in the U.K. Ministry.

"Negative, G."

"K?"

"Hold on," I hear. Daniel Keller is an Auror for the U.S. Ministry; he's playing a homeless man and is near the front of Morrison's flat. Keller clears his throat. "All clear. The Gemini has entered his flat."

"Can you see inside the flat?" Draco asks.

"Negative, M."

"Shit," I mutter. "Alright, everyone, that's enough for today. Team One, you're on flat watch tonight. I want you split up, half of you watch the flat and the other half, watch the street. You guys did good today. The rest of you, go home, get some rest, and we'll see you tomorrow night at the art show. Over and out." I tap the earpiece to turn it off and Draco removes his fingers from mine to fold up the newspaper. I try to hide my disappointment in the loss of contact between us and, instead, finish the rest of my coffee and stand. Draco drops a few American dollars on the table and links my arm with his as we walk to a secluded alley to apparate back to the American Ministry.

Blaise is waiting for us when we return. I know he can see the frustration in my face and gives me a small smile. "Don't get discouraged yet. We knew this would take a while."

I shrug. "I know but it'd be easier if we had anything to run with. We're no closer to finding the accomplice than when we first started and Morrison hasn't done anything except wander around the city, acting like the typical tourist. I just wish I knew what he was waiting for…"

Draco shakes his head. "Dwelling on it isn't going to get us anywhere. We just have to keep watching him and see if anything pops up."

I nod in agreement and we bid our goodbyes to Blaise before returning to our flat and flooing Harry to update him on today. He laughs when the first thing I do is groan into my hands. "That bad?"

I run my hands into my hair. "Nothing. We have nothing. I swear if I didn't know any better, I'd say he's just on a vacation but he's planning something. I can feel it; I just wish I knew what it was."

Harry shrugs. "You know where he lives, you have a team watching him 24/7, and you're going to stalk him at an art show tomorrow; not to mention all the information you've gathered on the guy in the past week _alone_. That's more than the usual Auror does. It'll pay off in the long run; just stay patient and eventually you'll get what you're waiting for."

I frown. "I'm not stalking him."

He chuckles. "You're setting up a team outside and inside the museum where the show is being held, you're taking Malfoy and Zabini with you inside the show just to observe Morrison. It's kind of stalker-ish."

I drop my jaw in offense. "Is not!"

"So is," he laughs again.

"Oh my God, would you two stop arguing like two children?!" I hear Draco exclaim from behind me and Harry laughs harder. I roll my eyes. "Shut up, Malfoy, you're not helping!"

"Since when was _that_ my intention?"

I glare at him but he merely smirks back and I nearly melt but I keep my composure and look back to Harry. "Well, if you two are done suggesting that I'm a stalker, I have other business to attend to."

Harry snorts. "I love you, Hermione, but you and I both know that rereading the file _again_ doesn't count as business."

I groan. "Good _bye_ , Harry."

He laughs. "Bye guys!"

I stand up and cross my arms and glare at Draco, trying to look intimidating but it's hard when he towers over me like a giant. "I'm not stalking him," I say.

He chuckles. "And I wasn't in Slytherin."

I scrunch my nose at him, grab a book off one of the bookshelves and plop down on the couch. "It's your turn to make dinner."

"How's take-out sound?" he suggests.

I roll my eyes and wave my hand at him, silently telling him it's fine. He looks down at my book and smirks before walking downstairs, leaving me alone in the loft with my book… that I now realize I'm reading upside down. Damn it.

* * *

 _ **P.S. A lot of people have been asking/wondering if Hermione was in love with Draco too... here's your answer! Keep the reviews coming guys!**_

 _ **Stay Golden!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N: Oh, the joys of rehearsal... I have no life. Yay! But it's worth it because I have an amazing cast to work with so it balances out... sort of. Anyway, yay chapter update!_**

 ** _Tallyho!_**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Draco**

I'm putting on my suit jacket when I hear the buzzer on the front door. "Can you get that?" Granger yells from her room. "Sure," I say, grabbing my tie off the bed frame as I head downstairs. I look through the peephole to see Blaise standing on the other side. I open the door and he strides in, confident as ever. He gives me a once over and smirks in approval. "You're looking sharp; who would've thought that Draco Malfoy knew how to dress like a muggle."

"Ha ha," I say sarcastically. "You're hilarious, Blaise." I walk over to the mirror above the small table next to the door and start to tie my tie but fail when I mess it up. I hear Blaise chuckle but I ignore him and try again. I fail the next two times and by now, I'm starting to get frustrated.

"Hey Granger!" I yell to keep myself from setting the damn thing on fire. "You ready yet?"

"I'm coming!" she replies and a moment later, she appears at the top of the stairs and I have to control my jaw from dropping. She looks beautiful. She's in a short sleeved v-neck emerald green dress that stops just above her knees showing off her legs; the heels are a nice touch too, I must add. She's wearing a purple beaded necklace with matching earrings and small bag of the same color while her hair's been pulled back into a bun with a few curls falling out and framing her face and she even put on a touch of makeup. It's going to take every ounce of self control I have tonight to not pummel any guy who looks at her the wrong way…

"Slytherin color;" Blaise muses, "nice."

She smirks and rolls her eyes. "Don't get too cocky, Zabini. I'm still a Gryffindor at heart."

He smirks. "Sure."

She looks at me and for a split second I swear I see her eyes widen but then her composure is regained and she smiles. "You clean up good, Malfoy."

"You too, Granger," I smirk.

She notices the tie in my hand and stifles a chuckle. "Need help?" she asks.

Before I can respond, Blaise answers for me. "Yes; I'm pretty sure he's about ready to set that stupid thing on fire."

This time she doesn't hold back her chuckle. "Here," she takes the tie from my hand and wraps it underneath the collar of my shirt as she begins to tie it. I can feel my breathing hitch as she begins to fumble with the small piece of fabric. We haven't been this close since Potter's wedding and, I swear, you can cut the tension with a knife. I can feel her uneasy breaths against my neck and when we briefly glance into each other's eyes, I can see something there that, even though I can't place it, I know it means something.

If only Blaise wasn't here, I'd be having her untie this stupid thing instead and we'd be ripping each other's clothes off.

Instead, I opt for: "Don't choke me, now."

That gets a chuckle out of her. "No promises," she says and winks at me. I roll my eyes and make eye contact with Blaise who's staring at me with an eyebrow raised. "What?" I mouth to him. He just smirks and shakes his head.

Granger finishes tying the tie and straightens it out. "There we go," she smiles. Then she grabs her bag and looks at the two of us. "Ready?"

"After you, mon cheri," Blaise says. She rolls her eyes and walks out the front door and Blaise and I follow. As we walk out of the apartment building, Blaise leads us to a secluded alley allowing us to put in our ear pieces and then apparate to the museum.

The museum's nothing special. Just a typical building dedicated to art but immediately, I can see Granger's sucked in by the history of the building and the artwork. I smirk at her awed expression and put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't get too distracted, Granger. We still have a job to do," I whisper in her ear.

I have to hide my smirk when I can feel her tense at our proximity. I'm not an idiot; I know she feels something. I've noticed that she tends to be slightly distracted whenever we're in close proximity and it didn't take long for me to figure out that it has to do with me. Whether it's the same as how I feel for her or not, I know there's something between us and knowing that I have the ability to give her a chill is a mini victory for me.

She smirks at me. "I'm aware, Malfoy, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate the artwork. We _are_ supposed to be blending in, after all."

Before I can respond, a waiter approaches us with a tray of champagne. As we each take a glass, I can hear a voice in my ear. "This is Q; base is all set. How are we looking inside?"

I can see Granger scan the crowd and Blaise and I spot Morrison at the same time she does; he's chatting with someone merrily across the hallway as they study a painting in front of them. "We have visual on the target, Q," Granger says.

"Great. We'll continue to watch the outside for any suspicious persons. Good luck."

"You too; over and out," Blaise says. We begin to wander through the museum while staying close to Morrison. Blaise begins to talk about some of the art pieces that we look at while still monitoring Morrison's location.

After a while, I begin to notice that Granger isn't as focused as she should be. She's looking off somewhere else in the museum. I follow her gaze and notice that Morrison is staring at us… well, actually, _her._

She gives him a small (albeit awkward) smile and then returns her attention back to the painting in front of us. Blaise and I glance at each other before looking back at her. "What are you doing?" Blaise asks.

She shrugs. "I don't know. I was just looking around the museum and we accidentally made eye contact and now he won't stop looking at me." I clench my fists but I keep my eyes on her. Before I can comment, I see her demeanor change. "Hm," she says quietly.

"What?" I ask.

"I have an idea; but I need you two to trust me, okay?"

"Hermione, what are you talking about?" Blaise asks.

"Just promise me that you'll trust my judgement on this. I'm not sure this will even work but I'm just going on a hunch, here."

"What the bloody hell are you planning?" I ask.

"You'll see," she says. "Is he still standing there?"

I look up and see that Morrison is walking down the hall, away from us. "No, he's heading towards the Van Gogh exhibit."

"Good," she says then downs the rest of her champagne before handing the empty glass to Blaise. Then she straightens her posture and adjusts her dress before turning to me. "How do I look?"

I'm caught off guard and stutter. "Uh…"

She rolls her eyes and scoffs. "Ugh, forget it." She turns to Blaise. "How do I look?"

"Beautiful," he states but looks at her quizzically. "What are you scheming?"

"I'm going to fraternize with the enemy," she states.

"Are you insane?!" I can hear Quentin, who's been able to listen in to what we've been saying the entire time we've been here, exclaim in my ear.

She purses her lips. "Just trust me on this, will you?" she says. "Remember, I have a thorough understanding of the human mind thanks to all the psychology research I did before going into Auror training. I might be able to get a better understanding of Morrison and what he's planning if I get to actually talk to him instead of just watching him from afar."

I can hear Quentin muttering something incoherent but Granger rolls her eyes and turns back to Blaise and takes the full glass of champagne out of his hand. "Don't follow me," she instructs before leaving us dumbfounded as she walks right into the fire that is the Gemini Hunter.

Gods, I hate Gryffindors sometimes.

* * *

 _ **P.S. Link for Hermione's dress:**_ ** _products/alfred-sung-d502-bridesmaid-dress?sku=su-d502-pine-green_**

 ** _Please review!_**


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: Well this week was hell. Just one thing after another... I sense a disturbance in the force. Must be the SuperBloodMoon. Did you guys see that, by the way? That was so cool! Anyway, this is one of my favorite chapters so far! Hope you like it!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Hermione**

I can feel my heartbeat pounding in my chest as I walk into the Van Gogh exhibit. I don't know what I'm thinking in doing this but everything else we've tried so far has gotten us nowhere so what harm could it do to try and just talk to the source itself? I can hear Blaise muttering in my ear. "This isn't a good idea." I ignore him and slow my pace as I spot Morrison at the far end of the exhibit. I begin to slowly admire the artwork as I make my way to him when I hear something that stops me in my tracks: "Be careful," I hear Draco say, his voice strained.

Now, that may seem like nothing to some people but to me, that practically makes my world stop. Draco's a self-preservationist; always looking out for number one. Hell, it comes standard with being a Slytherin. And sure, he's taken a few hexes for me while we've been out on a mission but I never really thought that it was because he was protecting me; I always thought it was because he was giving me an extra few seconds to take my shot at my target. Now I wonder if there was more behind that…

But to outright tell me to be careful, especially when other people can hear him… my heart swells. Not only is he admitting that he trusts me but he's also admitting that he cares, in so few words. I know it seems like I'm turning this into something it's not but I've learned quite a bit about Draco during our time at school and our time as partners and I know that he's not one to spell out what he's thinking or feeling. Instead, he'll drop hints with small phrases or looks that tell you what he really means.

And with just two words, Draco's dropped a bomb on me. He cares about me.

I take a deep breath in order to control the smile that's fighting to grow on my face. "I will," I say quietly before studying the picture in front of me.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" I hear a voice say next to me and I jump slightly. Standing next to me is Gabriel Morrison, aka, the Gemini Hunter. He smiles at me apologetically. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

I laugh nervously and give him a small smile. "It's alright, I just wasn't expecting you."

He raises an eyebrow. "Expecting someone else?"

I chuckle. "No."

"Good," he replies and puts his hand out. "Gabriel Morrison." No alias. First mistake. This man is Number One on the U.K. Ministry's most wanted list; you'd think that he'd have the wherewithal to hide under a false name. He must be incredibly confident if he thinks keeping his real name is going to keep him safe in a different country.

I smile at Morrison and shake his hand. "Rebecca Johnson," I say. As a war heroine, my name is known across the globe and would immediately put Morrison on the defensive. Under an alias, however, I'm safer.

You're probably thinking that he would recognize me from whenever my pictures were in the newspaper and I was also the one who helped send him to jail the first time, right? Well, I have a little secret for you: I placed a spell on all of us (Draco, Blaise, myself, and the rest of the team) during that first meeting in the U.S. Ministry, making us unrecognizable to anyone we didn't want to notice us, which is how we've been able to observe Morrison from a close distance at all times without him recognizing any of us. Any time he sees us, we look different so he'll never see the same person twice (I can control what each person will look like, thanks to some handy wandless spellwork). Tonight, in Morrison's eyes, Draco has blue eyes, dirty blonde hair, and is far less pale than his actual complexion while Blaise just has a smaller nose, lighter skin, and lighter eyes. As for me, I look like the female Harry Potter: dark hair, emerald green eyes, and even a few freckles that I stole from Ginny.

Pretty cool, huh?

"Delighted to meet you, Miss Johnson," he smiles.

"Likewise," I return the smile and look back to the painting. "And yes, it is beautiful," I observe. We're admiring the painting _Sunflowers_. "I love how lifelike the flowers look."

"Hm, Van Gogh always did manage to capture the life that surrounded him in his paintings," Morrison muses and we begin to walk further into the exhibit.

"You sound like you know a lot about his artwork," I say.

He nods. "I'm a self-proclaimed connoisseur of art, you might say."

"More like a maniac with a fetish for power," I hear Quentin say in my ear and I struggle not to roll my eyes as I hear Blaise shush him.

Instead, I smirk at Morrison and stop in front of one of my favorite Van Gogh pieces: _The Cafe Terrace_ _on the Place du Forum_. "Alright, Mr. Connoisseur, if you know so much about art, tell me about this piece."

He studies the piece for a moment before speaking. "Oil painting, painted around mid-September in 1888. Van Gogh didn't sign this piece but mentioned it in three different letters which confirm that it's one of his paintings. For the most part, it's almost an exact likeness of the actual setting except he cut off part of the building here," he points to the far left side of the painting, "and there's also some Roman monuments beside this little shop here," he points to the right side of the painting where a small shop is painted to be lit up from the inside, "but he omitted them."

I purse my lips. "Hm… not really that impressive," I say.

He looks offended. "What? Why?"

"Because you could have easily just read that off the plaque, here," I point to the small sign beneath the painting.

"That's right, G. You tell that little cretin how inept he is at art talking," I hear Quentin say and I hear Blaise groan in response. I take a sip of my (well, Blaise's) champagne to keep from chuckling.

Morrison chuckles. "Ah, yes, of course. Very valid point."

I smirk. "I don't want to know the details of the painting; I want to know what you think and what you feel when you look at it."

"Oh, yes, and while we're at it, why don't we all just sit around a campfire and sing Kumbaya while talking about our feelings!" Q says.

"Q, I swear to Merlin, if you don't shut up, I'm going to go over there and transfigure you into a fish," Draco threatens.

Morrison looks to me as he begins to speak. "Hm; when I look at this painting, I feel calm." I raise an eyebrow. "I feel like all I can hear is the sounds of the cafe and people talking; no noisy cars, no sounds of the obnoxious city; just peace and quiet. Like a long walk after an exhausting day."

I give him a small smile. "Now _that's_ impressive."

He smirks. "What do you see when you look at it?" he asks.

I pause for a moment. "Like I need a really good cup of coffee."

He laughs and we continue to walk through the exhibit as he goes into detail about a variety of Van Gogh's other pieces. I can hear Quentin groan in my ear. "G, _please_ tell me that you're getting some good subtext from this guy because all I'm getting is that he's about ready to jack off to Van Gogh's self portrait."

"Shut up, Q!" I hear Draco say and I snort slightly, trying not to laugh. Morrison notices my struggle.

"Something wrong?" he asks.

I shake my head and sigh. "No, I'm just thinking about how sad it is that no one in Van Gogh's time truly appreciated his work, is all." Not entirely a lie, since I do believe that, but I'm digressing.

He sighs and shakes his head. "Tragic, really. The man was a genius and yet, people thought he was insane just because he had a different view on things."

Bingo. Now, we're getting somewhere but before I can get him to continue, he cuts me off. "So what brings you here tonight?"

"My friends and I are here for a school assignment. We're art students."

"Really? Here at NYU? Your accent suggests otherwise."

"Fuck, I didn't think about that," Blaise mutters but I already have it covered. "We're transfer students from London; University of the Arts London, to be exact."

Q whistles. "Good save, G."

Morrison raises an eyebrow. "Really? I didn't know UAL had a transfer program."

"It's fairly recent. The transfer program only opened up a couple years ago."

He nods. "I see."

"What about you? You don't sound like you're from around here."

He smirks. "I transferred here for work." _Yeah, the work of killing people in order to gain power_ , I think but instead I smile and nod before turning back to the last painting in the exhibit that we're now standing in front of.

"His last painting," I say quietly, staring at _Wheat Field with Crows._

"'The sadness will last forever,'" Morrison says quietly next to me. I look at him, puzzled. "Van Gogh's last words." I nod in understanding and he sighs. "Shame that no one made an effort to truly understand the man," he says. "Some people just see talent and passion and fear it while others… well, others just tend to lock it away and let it rot."

I look to him and raise an eyebrow. "I'm not sure I know what you mean, Mr. Morrison."

He smirks at me. "Oh, I think you know exactly what I mean Miss Johnson. Or should I say Miss Granger?"

It takes all the self control I have not to tense at his words.

He knows.

"Fuck," Q says in my ear. "G, get out of there, _now_. Abort mission!"

I can't agree more and I'm about to make my excuses when the voice of an angel interrupts me. "Rebecca," I hear.

I turn around and see Draco standing a few feet away from us, his stance stiff and his face controlled even though I can see that he's trying not to pummel Morrison. He keeps his eyes on me. "We should get going; long day tomorrow."

I nod. "Yes, of course." I turn back to Morrison and extend my hand. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Morrison. Thank you for the very educational discussion."

He smirks and I see victory in his eyes. He knows he won tonight. "Likewise Miss Johnson." He looks to Draco. "And you are?"

"Andrew Miller," he says stiffly.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Miller," Morrison says and Draco simply nods. I give Morrison a small smile before turning around and walking out of the exhibit with Draco. I see Blaise standing at the end of the hallway, his face giving nothing away, and he nods at the two of us. When we're out of sight from the Van Gogh exhibit, I down the rest of the champagne, then walk as fast as possible out of the museum and onto the busy streets of New York, Blaise and Draco right behind me.

I spot the van we borrowed from the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Department in the U.S. Ministry and make a beeline for it. Quentin and one other team member is in the van while everyone else is staked around outside the museum watching for anything strange. I throw open the back doors to the van and climb in before sliding down onto the floor and putting my face in my hands. I can hear Blaise and Draco come in after me and they immediately begin to speak with Quentin.

"What the fuck was that?!" Q yells. "Did he know it was her the whole time? Does he know we're here?"

"I don't know but this isn't good. We need to notify Teigan and Potter as soon as possible," Blaise says.

"Do we really know if he knows if _all_ of us are here?" Draco argues. "It's possible he only figured out Hermione but the rest of us could still be in the clear."

"No way, mate," Q says. "He's wicked smart. If he figured out G, he figured out the rest of us."

Blaise grunts in agreement and the van falls silent for a moment. I hear a shuffling of feet feel hands on mine that slowly pull them down from my face. Draco is crouched down in front of me, concern in his eyes, and gives my hands a gentle squeeze. "You okay?"

I want to be brave and nod. I want to channel my Gryffindor courage and swallow my fear and find a new course of action. But I can't; I can't find it in me to be brave right now. All I want to do is dig a deep hole and hide in it forever. But, sadly, I can't do that either. So I just drop my head onto my knees and take a shaky breath. "I'm an idiot."

"No, you're not," Draco defends.

"Yes, I am," I argue, my head shooting back up to look at him. "I shouldn't have pursued him; I should have just stuck with the original plan and watched from afar. God, I've compromised all of us and the entire mission."

Blaise shakes his head. "No you didn't, Hermione. Going after him was a good idea because we got up close and personal with the target himself and only you could have pulled that off as effortlessly as you did. Morrison just must have already known who we were before you talked to him. I don't know how though..."

I take another shaky breath. "What do we do now?"

Blaise shrugs. "The rest of you go home and relax, _you_ especially," he says looking at me. "I'll go home and call Teigan and Potter and let them know what we found out. We'll continue from there."

"Did you figure anything out about him, G?" Q asks.

I nod. "I- I think he's depressed. The way he talked about Van Gogh was too empathetic; it's like he understands what Van Gogh went through on a personal level. I- I think he also doesn't see anything wrong in what he's done or who he is as a person. From what I got from him, he seems to be a bit sociopathic. Um… that's all I can think of right now. If I think of something else later, I'll let you know."

Blaise nods. "That's enough for now. Q, you and the team clean up over here and then you're free to go. Draco, take Hermione back to your flat. I'll check with you two as soon as possible."

Draco nods and helps me off the floor before leading me out of the van. "Hermione," I hear Blaise say. I turn around to face him. "Despite how it ended, good job in there. That took balls."

My lips quirk up slightly but not enough to even be a smirk. Draco puts a hand on the small of my back and leads me to a less populated street where we apparate back to our apartment building.

* * *

 _ **P.S. If you have questions, comments, or just want to say hi, please direct it towards my Tumblr (im-hurricane-drunk dot tumblr dot com). It's easier to access Tumblr from my phone than it is to access FF.**_

 _ **Please review!**_

 _ **Stay Golden!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: Sorry about the delay in updates. I've been super massively busy and also dealing with some personal stuff right now that I just haven't been in the mood to write. Anyway, SMUT CHAPTER ALERT! You've been warned...**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 __ **Chapter 7: Hermione**

The second we walk through the front door, I walk into the kitchen and pull out the strongest thing I can find. Firewhiskey; that'll do. I pour myself a shot and down it in one gulp. Before I can pour myself another, Draco takes the bottle away from me. I frown and try to get it back from him but he pulls it away before I can grab it. "Malfoy."

"Don't," he says. "Don't try to bury what happened tonight at the bottom of a bottle. Believe me, Granger, I've tried to do the same thing and it got me nowhere except on the bathroom floor."

I pause and stare at him, confused. "Sixth year," is all he says and immediately, I know what he's talking about. The year he was Marked; the year he was ordered to kill Dumbledore. I knew he struggled that year; I never imagined he tried to block it out with alcohol though. He went through a lot of shit during the war; it's a miracle he came out as good as he did. And as I look into his eyes, I can see that one more brick from the wall he's built to protect himself falls. I sigh and meet his gaze.

"I'm sorry," I say. He knows I'm not apologizing about tonight or about trying to bury myself at the bottom of a bottle; he knows I'm apologizing for what happened to him.

He shakes his head and places the bottle on the counter. "Don't be. I made my peace with that a long time ago." I nod in understanding. He opens up his arms. "Come here."

I don't hesitate. Immediately, I wrap my arms around his waist and as his arms wrap around me, I'm enveloped in the smell of his cologne. I smile a little and can feel myself relax against him. I feel something on the top my head that distinctly feels like lips but the sensation is gone just as soon as it arrived. I sigh and pull away from him. He gives me a small smile. "Go get some rest. You'll feel better in the morning."

I nod and wander off to my room. I lean on the door as I close it and take a few steadying breaths. I'm still in shock over Morrison but I also know when to accept that there's nothing I can right now. I just have to wait for Blaise to call us… I hate waiting. But what I _can_ do in the interim is… no, I'm too tired. I don't want to think of a new plan right now. I just want to crawl into bed and shower and eat my feelings in a carton of ice cream. Not necessarily in that order.

First up, a shower. I kick off my shoes, let my hair down, and begin to unzip my dress but the action is forfeited when the zipper gets stuck. "Seriously?" I groan. I try to pull it down again but it won't budge. Then I try to use my wand but when I can't reach the zipper, even _with_ the wand, and I groan again. Perfect. This would happen tonight.

Muttering to myself, I open my door and trudge over to Draco's room to ask for help. I knock on the door and hear his voice telling me to come in. I open the door and nearly feel my heart stop as I come across a shirtless Draco wearing nothing but sweatpants. Damn, he looks better than I remembered. I can almost imagine myself running my hands across his bare chest but I shake my head to clear the thought before speaking. "Hey."

He looks up at me from the stack of books he was organizing. His brows furrow as he notices my attire. "Hey; what are you still doing up?"

I purse my lips and point to the back of my dress. "My zipper's stuck. Can you help me?"

He chuckles and nods. "Sure."

I walk further into his room and turn around so he can help me get out of the dress… and not in the way I want him to, sadly. I can feel him struggle with the zipper and he grunts. "What the hell?"

"I have no idea. I didn't have this problem when getting it on."

"Hm; hold on." He grabs his wand off the bedside table and mutters something. He jiggles the zipper and it seems to loosen. After a few more tries, he finally gets it loose and is able to pull the zipper down. I groan in relief as I feel the fabric open and briefly revel in the 'what if' thought that he could be doing this for other purposes but shake it off. "Thank you," I say as I turn around to face him but stop short as I look into his eyes.

He's staring at me with a mix of lust something else I can't place. But all I know is that I can feel his eyes burning into mine and I don't want to look away. I don't want to go back to my room and sleep alone. I just want to stay here and be with him. I could stare into his eyes all night and the gods be damned, I might do just that if I can.

Somehow, we've gotten closer to each other but we haven't taken our eyes off each other. He opens his mouth to speak. "Granger, I-" I don't know what he was going to say as I cut him off and pull him into a kiss. He seems surprised for a split second before he responds with fervor. He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me closer as I run my fingers through his hair. Before I can tackle him onto the bed, he breaks the kiss and rests his forehead against mine. "What happened to staying professional?"

"Fuck staying professional," I say before kissing him again. He chuckles against my lips and finishes unzipping the dress. His hands move to my shoulders and slowly pushes the dress off me until it pools at my feet. Despite the sudden breeze of coolness I'm hit with as my body is exposed, I feel hot and I can guarantee that Draco has everything to do with it. His lips leave mine and he begins to leave a trail of kisses down my neck, causing chills to go down my spine. I run my hands over his bare chest until I reach the waist of his sweat pants and slowly I start to slide them off his body until, they too, are pooled at his feet.

I can feel his erection against me and I place my hand on his length and begin to stroke my hand along him. He moans in my ear and I smirk and pick up my pace a little bit causing him to moan louder. Just as I get good momentum, he sucks at the base of my neck and I drop my head back and moan. I can hear him chuckle and I can't take it anymore. I need him. Now.

I release my hold on him and push him onto the bed before crawling on top of him and straddling him. He sits up and runs his hands down my back before fumbling with my bra and I leave a trail of kisses down his neck and shoulders. He unhooks one of the few pieces of clothing left that's keeping us apart and slides it off me before throwing it on the floor. I move my face to meet his again and he kisses me softly as he runs his hands over my exposed breasts. He pinches one nipple causing me to gasp and he takes the opportunity to let his tongue meet mine as he massages one breast and pinches the other. I grind into him and he moans inside my mouth.

When we break for air, his mouth moves down my neck to my shoulders to my breasts and he begins to suck on one breast while massaging the other. I moan and let my head roll back as I revel in the feeling of his lips on my body. This is so much better than I remember it. How I survived without this for an entire year, I don't know. All I do know is that I should have broken that stupid professional rule I made a long time ago.

He switches to the other breast for a quick moment before he flips us over and I'm laying on the bed and he's on top of me. I push his boxers off, exposing his hard erection in the process, and he slides my knickers off and lowers his head to my clit and I immediately begin to moan uncontrollably as I feel his tongue slide along me. I run my fingers through his hair and he grazes his teeth against my clit causing me to gasp. He chuckles and begins to leave a trail of kisses up my body until he's right over me and kisses my lips. He mutters a quick contraceptive charm on himself before sliding into me.

I moan as he fills me and he smirks. I scrunch my nose at him but gasp as he begins to thrust into me. Instead, I grab the back of his head and pull his lips to mine. As our momentum picks up, our kissing becomes more broken as our breath gets ragged. I arch my back into him and he kisses the base of my neck. He begins to go faster and I run my nails down his back and he moans into my ear.

I'm close now. I can feel it. I can tell he is too. I hike my legs up, giving him more room and immediately I feel that I'm about to lose it. I don't want this to end but I can't hold on much longer. He can tell I'm about ready to lose it too. "Come for me, Hermione," he whispers in my ear, sending a chill down my spine.

He doesn't have to tell me twice. Less than a minute later, I can feel my body give in as I orgasm. I moan his name and he quickly follows me with his own climax. He drops on top of me, putting his weight on his arms so he doesn't crush me, and rests his forehead against mine. Our breathing is heavy, we're sweating, and our eyes are locked onto each others. We say nothing. We're just looking into each other's eyes and I'm surprised he can't hear my heartbeat pounding in my chest.

I nuzzle my nose against his and he smiles before kissing me softly. This kiss is different than the ones we just shared; those were passionate and full of lust. This one is soft and gentle and more loving. When we break the kiss, we crawl under the covers of the bed and I snuggle up against him, skin against skin. We still haven't said anything to each other but in this moment, we don't need to. They say actions speak louder than words and this is no exception. We share a few soft kisses and smiles before falling asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

I wake up before Draco the next morning. I smile at him and give him a soft kiss on his forehead before grabbing my knickers and bra and a shirt of Draco's that's sitting on a chair in the corner. I walk into the bathroom and throw on the clothes and chuckle quietly at my appearance. Draco's shirt is huge on me and my hair is a tangled mess of curls. I use the toilet and splash some water from the sink onto my face before tiptoeing out of Draco's room and into mine to grab my wand before going downstairs. I tie my hair into a messy bun and turn on the coffee maker while grabbing the paper from outside the front door.

I'm scanning the headlines on the paper, not spotting anything out of the ordinary, when I feel a hand slide part of the shirt down, exposing my shoulder and soft pair of lips kissing the crook where my neck and shoulder meet. I get a chill down my spine and lean into him and smile. "Morning."

He nips my ear. "Morning," Draco says, his voice husky from just waking up. I get another chill and lean against him while moving my head so he has better access to my neck. With every kiss, I can feel myself melt against him and it takes everything I have not to turn into a puddle at his feet. "Draco," I say.

"Hm?"

"If I ever say that we need to keep our relationship professional again, kiss me until I forget I said it, okay?"

He stops kissing me and rests his head against my temple. " _Are_ you going to suggest we stay professional again?" he asks, and I can hear some bitterness in his voice. I turn around to face him and I can see hurt in his eyes.

I rest my hands on his chest and look him in the eyes. "No. I made that mistake once, I'm not going to to do it again."

"Are you sure?" he asks. "Because I like you Hermione; I have for a while but I can't keep doing this if you're going to push me away again."

I sigh and pull him towards me. I cup his face with one hand while the other rests on his arms that are wrapped around me. "Draco, I pushed you away because I was scared that you were going to hurt me like Ron did." He furrows his brows but doesn't say anything. "I realize now that I should have just taken a chance and tried to pursue a relationship with you but I'm a logical thinker and at the time, my brain overruled my heart. Hell, it still does. But I've never been one to make the same mistake twice. I like you too and I want to see where this is going. I promise, I won't push you away again."

He cups my cheek with one hand and he gives me a small smile. He rests his forehead against mine and I close my eyes as I lean in to kiss him. He returns my kiss softly at first but it becomes more heated as I begin to run my fingers through his hair. Without breaking the kiss, he grabs my hips and lifts me up until I'm sitting on top of the counter. I spread my legs and pull him closer to me, and he wraps one arm around my waist while the other hand moves up my leg to my knickers. He slowly removes them and drops them onto the floor before sliding two fingers inside me causing me to moan.

He smirks and melds his tongue with mine while sliding the shirt off my shoulders, exposing my bra. He effortlessly takes it off with one hand and throws it on the ground leaving me completely exposed and I couldn't care less. His mouth leaves mine and leaves a trail of kisses down my neck and shoulder until he reaches my breasts and begins to suck on one while massaging the other with his free hand, and his other hand is still preoccupied with fingering me.

I feel like I'm on fire. Every kiss feels like he's burning my skin but it's the most magnificent feeling in the world. If it means that I can feel like this every time his lips meet mine or a part of my body, I'd be willing to burn in an eternal fire for him and this feeling he gives me.

He begins to massage my clit and I moan again and I drop my head back. He moves his mouth to my neck and grazes his teeth along it until he meets my lips again. My breathing is becoming ragged as he thrusts his fingers further into me causing me to gasp. Draco smirks and continues to pleasure me until I feel myself collapse against him as I orgasm.

We rest our foreheads together as my breathing slows. He nips at my bottom lip lightly and I chuckle. "Oh, you're definitely going to get it later."

He smirks. "I look forward to it," he whispers in my ear seductively, sending chills down my spine. I throw the shirt back on and button it up stopping just above my bust and grab my knickers and bra. I wink at him and wander back upstairs, knowing full well that he'll follow me.

As he rips the shirt off me again, I briefly think that I'll have to fix that later before I'm distracted by his lips on mine and the feel of his skin against mine.

* * *

 _ **P.S. If you have any questions, comments, or just want to say hi, please do so on Tumblr (im-hurricane-drunk dot tumblr dot com).**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTE! IMPORTANT INFO LIES AHEAD!**_

 _ **You guys... I am so sorry. I really didn't want to do this but I don't have much of a choice right now. I'm putting this story on hiatus. RL is getting more and more busy as we head into tech for the show next week and we get closer to the end of the semester and I, sadly, just don't have enough time to dedicate myself to this story as I'd like. But don't worry, while on hiatus, I will hopefully get some more writing in during what little free time I have at the moment. My goal is that by Thanksgiving weekend, I'll have most if not almost all the story done but it depends on how the rest of the semester goes.**_

 _ **Here's where the good news comes in. Now, you guys can send me any and all suggestions for something that you'd like to see later in the story. I can't promise that all suggestions will make it into my writing but I will see which ones fit into the storyline I already have laid out in my head and we'll go from there. Please send your suggestions to my Tumblr page (im-hurricane-drunk dot tumblr dot com) as that is the easiest place for me to look at them via phone. Don't be shy; if there's something you'd like to see happen in the story, please send it to me and I will do what I can to fit it into the plot.**_

 _ **Again, I apologize, but I appreciate your patience and understanding. You guys are the best readers a girl could ask for and I am so grateful for all of your kind words.**_

 _ **Please be patient with me, guys. I promise, this is temporary.**_

 _ **So, until next time, Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Draco**

Merlin, I love that woman.

I've also never been more thankful for such a strong sex drive. We had sex so many times yesterday that I lost count because all I could focus on was the beautiful woman in my arms. Sadly, our day of peace (and sex) is ruined the next morning when I hear the buzzer for the door ringing downstairs. I groan quietly and look at the clock on my bedside table: 8am. Seriously? Who the hell is here at this hour?

Careful not to wake Hermione, I throw on some sweatpants and trudge downstairs, fully prepared to yell at whoever decided to ruin my sleep. I throw open the door and stop short when I see Blaise standing in front of me (Merlin knows how he's fully awake at this hour) with a drink holder, full of what I assume is coffee, in one hand and holding a paper bag in the other. He raises an eyebrow and chuckles in amusement. "Morning, sleeping beauty."

I make a sound between a mixture of a groan and growl and open the door wider to let him in. "What are you doing here, Blaise? Don't you know how to sleep in?"

He laughs and places the drinks and bag on the dining table. "Sadly, no. Let's just say that my non-work related activities have ruined my ability to sleep in."

I put my hand up and shake my head. "Stop right there, I don't want to know."

He chuckles and picks up one of the drinks and takes a sip. "Did you enjoy your day off?"

I try not to smile so instead I just force a yawn and scratch the back of my head. "Sure."

He raises an eyebrow. "You didn't," he says.

"Didn't what?" I ask, confused.

"You slept with her, didn't you?"

My eyes widen. "What? What would give you that idea?"

"You scratched the back of your head. You only do that after you've been laid."

"I- what? Blaise, I scratched the back of my head. That has nothing to do with me getting laid!"

"Yes it does. The morning after you and Astoria slept together, you kept scratching your head, and same with those girls you hooked up with occasionally after graduation. You only do that when you've slept with someone."

I furrow my brows. "Okay, first off, I only slept with _two_ girls after graduation and secondly, what the _hell_ are you talking about?"

"Stop questioning me and answer the question," he says, getting impatient. "You slept with Hermione, didn't you?"

"I fail to see why that's any of your business, Zabini," I say.

Recognition shows in his eyes and he laughs. "Not gonna lie, mate, I didn't think you had it in you. I figured if she had turned _me_ down, then she definitely would have turned _you_ down."

"Maybe I just have a thing for blondes," says a new voice and we look up to find Hermione dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, leaning over the loft wall, smirking at both of us.

"Well good morning, mon cheri," Blaise says as she begins to walk downstairs. "You look beautiful, this morning."

She gives him an incredulous look and he laughs.

She walks up to me and pecks my lips softly before picking up a drink from the holder and begins to add cream and sugar to it. She notices how Blaise's eyes are shifting between us and she wraps an arm around my waist. "Hands off, Zabini; he's mine."

He throws his hands up in defeat and laughs again. "Don't worry, I learned my lesson a while ago. Besides, you're not really my type," he says, looking at me.

I want to be offended but the fact that Hermione just called me hers distracts me. It takes everything I have to smile like a fool right now. I wrap my arm around her shoulder and kiss the top of her head to hide my smile. Blaise walks into the kitchen to grab something and I take the moment of privacy to give her a soft kiss on her lips, something she returns with equal tenderness.

"Ugh, get a room," we hear Blaise say and we laugh as he walks back to the table holding a plate and begins pulling out pastries from the paper bag.

"We have one and would be using it right now if we hadn't been interrupted," I say pointedly.

He chuckles. "Save it for later, loverboy. We've got work to do."

That immediately sobers both of us up. I take the last cup from the holder and make a face when I smell the coffee. Hermione chuckles and takes the cup from me. "You don't have to drink it black. It's an acquired taste. Most people add sugar and cream to it. Want me to fix it for you?"

I nod and watch as she pours some sugar and a couple creamers into the coffee. She stirs it up until it's a much lighter color and hands it back to me. "Try that."

I take a sip and purse my lips. "It's not terrible," I muse, "but still weird."

Blaise laughs. "You'll get used to it."

"How do you take yours, Blaise?" Hermione asks, noticing he hasn't put anything in his coffee.

"Black. Like my soul," he jokes.

"Really? I was thinking it was more because of your skin," I joke.

He looks at me unamused. "Exactly. Just like your coffee's so white, it matches _your_ skin!"

I laugh. "Touché."

Hermione puts her face in her hand and chuckles. "Boys," she mutters. She sits down and grabs a muffin off the plate. "Did you talk to Harry and Teigan about the art show?"

He nods and picks at a scone. "Teigan's furious. Not at you," he reassures her as her eyes widen. "He's furious because he feels like he should've seen it coming."

"There was no way that any of us could have known that Morrison would know we were here," I defend.

Hermione shakes her head. "We knew he would be suspicious though. Morrison's no fool. We underestimated him and he took full advantage of it." She groans in frustration and buries her face in her hands. I run my hand up and down her back, soothingly and she peeks out from behind her hands. "What else did Teigan say? Did you talk to Harry?"

Blaise nods. "Actually, about that; Potter's taking a portkey over here today. He'll be here in a couple hours. You might want to get dressed."

Hermione throws the muffin wrapper at him. " _Now_ you tell us!"

He shrugs. "Sorry."

She rolls her eyes and goes upstairs to shower and dress. I sigh and stand up as well. "Are you going to stay here or should we just meet you back at the Ministry?"

"I'll stay here, if that's okay with you? It just makes more sense for all of us to go together."

I nod in agreement. "Sure." I grab the coffee and muffin and head upstairs. "Thanks for the coffee, Blaise." I say as I walk away.

He mutters something but I don't hear it.

* * *

An hour and a half later, Hermione and I are showered, dressed, and ready to meet Potter and Teigan at the Ministry. Instead of Apparating, however, we decide to just floo since Hermione is far too on edge to properly focus and Blaise and I are worried that we might splinch her if we try to apparate with her so distracted. After we land in the Ministry, we begin the walk to the conference room. I can sense that Hermione's nervous and I almost reach out to grab her hand but back out at the last moment, unsure of how she'll react.

She seems to sense what I wanted to do, however, because she takes my hand in hers and entwines our fingers. She gives me a nervous smile and I return it. "Everything's going to be fine," I reassure her.

She nods but doesn't say anything. I squeeze her fingers before releasing her hand as we enter the Auror department. I can see her frown at the gesture but I know she understands; even if we broke the professional rule outside of the office, while working, we have to stay sharp and not let our emotions get the better of us (something I'm a bit better at than her). I hear her breath hitch when we walk into the conference room and find Potter pacing by the window.

"Hermione!" he says, as we walk in. He practically runs over to her and pulls her into a hug and I have to hold back the smirk that's trying to form on my lips. Typical Gryffindors; always wearing their hearts on their sleeves. He pulls back and looks at her. "Are you okay?" he asks.

She sighs and nods. "Yeah. It was just a bit unnerving but I'm okay."

He nods and looks at me. "How are you holding up?"

I scoff and don't hold back the smirk this time. "Last I checked, Potter, I don't wear my heart on my sleeve like you two. I'm not about to sit down and delve into the deep pits of my soul and tell you how I feel. Nice try, though."

Hermione rolls her eyes and shakes her head but Potter just laughs. "Glad to see America hasn't changed you too much, Malfoy."

I roll my eyes. "Can't say the same for Blaise, though."

Blaise looks at me confused and throws his arms out. "Hey now! Don't be jealous just because I get out more than you."

I roll my eyes. "I don't _want_ to get out as often as you do, Blaise."

He wags his eyebrows at me. "You're missing out, mate."

Hermione covers her face with her hand and laughs while Potter looks between us, confused. I shake my head. "Don't ask." He doesn't argue.

Just then, Auror Teigan walks in. Nick Teigan is a tall man with salt and pepper hair, dark blue eyes, and features that suggest him to be older than his forty-five years. The man's one of the most respected people in the Wizarding community in this country and, I have to admit, I respect him too. He's saved so many lives, I lost count, and even helped the muggle community after the September 11 attacks. He's also been Head Auror since his early twenties. It's safe to say that the guy knows what he's doing and he does it well.

"Head Auror Potter," Teigan says, shaking Potter's hand, "it's an honor to meet you finally."

"You as well, Head Auror Teigan. And, please, call me Harry."

Teigan smiles. "Only if you call me Nick."

Potter smiles and nods and we all sit around the table. A moment after we sit, the team walks in and joins us and then the meeting begins. "So, as I'm sure you all know, it's been discovered that Morrison is aware that we are watching him. Aurors Granger, Zabini, and Malfoy were inside the museum where they were watching Morrison while Auror Quentin and a few others were outside, listening in.

"Auror Granger made a decision to try to talk to the target and discovered that he knew who she was. We don't know for sure, whether or not, Morrison knows the rest of us are watching him but we can't take any chances. We have to assume that Morrison has known that we've been watching him since this investigation started. We've kept a distant eye on him and he seems to have stayed in the same area and doesn't plan on leaving any time soon. Why, we don't know yet but I'm hoping we'll find out soon. In the meantime, I've invited Head Auror Potter to join us while we regroup and figure out a new plan to continue the investigation. Would you care to start?" he asks Potter.

Potter nods and looks at the rest of us. "Well, usually, I wouldn't want to intrude on another Auror department's work, but under the circumstances, we think it's understandable. Auror Teigan and I discussed it and agreed that while the investigation continues, I'll be staying here in America to work closely with all of you and help catch Morrison-"

"You're _what_?!" Granger and I ask at the same time, in disbelief.

"Guys," Potter says, warningly.

"Harry, you can't be serious," Hermione says.

"We don't really have much of a choice, Hermione," he says. "This case has been put to the top of the list in both England _and_ the U.S. and all the other Ministries across the globe have been put on red alert in case Morrison escapes and runs to another country."

"But a third of our Auror department is already _here_ , including Draco and myself!" she argues. "Your top Aurors are already gone; you can't just come here too and leave the department to fend for itself!"

"It won't be fending for itself. I've left it in the very capable hands of Auror Weasley and- oops."

It's as if time stopped. Hermione and I freeze and I can see Blaise trying to keep composure out of the corner of my eye at Potter's revelation. "Weasley?" I choke out. "You can't be serious."

Potter gives me a look that tells me to drop the subject and Hermione pinches the bridge of her nose in frustration. I give him a look in return that suggests that this conversation isn't over.

"As I was saying," Potter continues, "I'll be staying here in the country with you all while the case remains open. In the meantime, we're going to regroup and try to find a new method of watching Morrison. Usually, I would say let's just catch him and bring him in but Auror Granger had the right idea when it came to watching him. We don't know what Morrison's planning and for all we know, we could bring him in and send him to Azkaban but he could have already set another explosion up and people would still die."

"There's still the matter of the accomplice as well," Blaise points out.

Potter nods in agreement. "Right. We need to find the accomplice too. It seems unlikely, but there's still a possibility that the accomplice is the one pulling all the strings and Morrison is just a puppet. What we hope to accomplish, is the more we watch Morrison, we'll be able to figure out what he's planning and who the accomplice is."

"We have an idea on how to do this but it's not exactly… well, let's just say we've had better ideas than this," Teigan says.

"What's the idea?" Blaise asks.

Potter and Teigan look to Hermione, who's writing something down in the file. She senses their gazes on her and she perks up only to have recognition show in her eyes. She purses her lips and takes a deep breath before straightening her posture and looking at Potter and Teigan head on. "What do I need to do?"

"Same thing you were already doing," Teigan replies. "Keep the charm up on everyone else but take it off yourself. Morrison knows that you've been watching him so we thought we'd test it out and see what happens if you're out in the open."

"You want to do _what_?" I ask in disbelief.

"Everyone else will remain under the charm on the off chance that Morrison doesn't know about the rest of you while I take the charm off myself and watch him out in the open completely exposed," Hermione sums up.

"What? Why? _How_ is this a good idea?" I ask. "See, Potter, _this_ is why you weren't in Ravenclaw."

There's some chuckling around the table and even Potter smirks before getting serious again. "We think that since Morrison has already talked to Hermione, he'd be willing to do it again; this time without her disguised. She said she was able to pick up on certain things about Morrison and, what we're hoping, is that she might be able to talk to him again and get more information out of him such as if/when he's planning an attack and who the accomplice is."

"He's not going to spell it out for her, Potter," Blaise argues. "If anything, he'd probably try to deviate our path and distract us."

"Which is why we can't take anything he says at face value. We have to assume that everything he says has a double meaning to it," Teigan says.

"That won't be hard," Hermione mutters.

"What do you mean?" Harry asks.

"Morrison's a sociopath. A manipulative one at that. He knows how to twist words and get people to do his bidding while making them think that _they're_ the ones who are in charge when it's really him who's controlling the situation," she explains. "Everything Morrison says _does_ have a double meaning to it but we can't assume that he's always lying. He could also try to lie to us by telling us the truth."

"What do you mean?" Teigan asks.

"He could manipulate us into thinking that whatever it is he's telling me is a lie when really, it's the truth. He'd do it to distract us and put him in the clear. We should probably split the team up into two so both can be in the location where we suspect him and the location where he'll try to lead us. If it turns out, one of the locations is the right one, we'll all apparate there and take care of the situation." There's a quiet muttering of agreement around the table. "Okay, so I try to stay in contact with Morrison. What happens next?" she asks.

"Try to figure out when/where the next attack will be and who the accomplice is," Potter replies.

"And if we can't?" Blaise asks.

"Arrest Morrison and take him back to London to receive a new sentence. In the meantime, we'd keep looking for the accomplice and hopefully stop the next attack before it happens."

Teigan nods and looks at all of us. "Any questions?" No one says anything. "Good. We've got Miranda and a couple others watching Morrison's flat right now. I want Team One watching the area tonight. As for everyone else, I want you to look up any information you can find on any suspicious activity around the city lately. I don't want any chances taken. If something doesn't look right, I want you to look at it immediately. It could be a sign of Morrison's next attack. Any questions?" Silence. He nods again. "Alright. You're dismissed."

Teigan and the team stand up and leave, but Hermione, Blaise, Potter, and myself all stay seated. Teigan glances at us before looking to Potter; he nods and Teigan leaves the conference room. As soon as it's the four of us, the tension rises dramatically. Hermione's pinching the bridge of her nose and I can see that her free hand is clenched into a fist. I rest my hand on her fist and she relaxes a little but not enough.

"Hermione-" Potter starts.

"You have two minutes to explain why Ron is running the department before I hex you," she threatens.

"He was the only logical option," Potter says.

She looks at him incredulously. "Are you kidding me?! There are plenty of options! I know he's your best friend, Harry, but there are other people far more qualified than him!"

Potter sighs. "Ron's qualified, Hermione. He was one of the top Aurors in France but with all the political unrest there, he and Jacque didn't want their baby raised among that." He pauses. "About a week after you two left, they returned to London and Ron applied for a position at our Ministry. Because of his experience in France, he got the job and when we realized that I would need to come here, he was the best option because he had had experience running a department before."

"Wait a minute, you mean to tell me that Weasley's been there for almost a _month_?" Blaise asks. "Why the hell weren't we told about this?"

"We didn't think it was necessary for you three to know. We thought if we told you, it would distract you from your case. And you're hardly ever there, Blaise, why does it matter to you?"

"I'm still part of the department, Potter," Blaise replies with slight bitterness in his voice. "Just because I'm not there doesn't mean I have to stay out of the loop." Potter tenses. He and Blaise tend to butt heads more than he and I do. Blaise is very headstrong and stubborn, as is Potter, which sometimes leads to the two of them clashing.

"We should have been told," Blaise argues.

Potter shrugs. "Perhaps. Either way, the decision's been made. You can decide how you want to handle the situation when you all return to London after the case is over but I expect you to handle it professionally no matter what."

It takes every amount of self control I have not to roll my eyes. I never liked Weasley but my dislike grew for him after I found out how he dumped Hermione and ran away with his now wife. I knew he was an idiot; I just never realized how much. Now, he's running the entire department while we're chasing a madman in a different country. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about how the department will be when we return.

Hermione seems to have a silent conversation with Potter before she sighs and her shoulders slump in defeat. "Where are you staying?" she asks, changing the subject.

"Same building as you two," he replies. "A couple doors down, according to Blaise."

Blaise nods. "Even though the team is elsewhere, we figured it would be better to have the top Aurors all together just in case anything happens. That way we're not running around a million different places to find you."

Hermione and I nod. I purse my lips. "Alright, well, if that's all, I think we should get working on trying to find that accomplice, don't you think?"

They nod and we stand. Blaise and Potter walk out but I grab Hermione before she can leave too. "You okay?" I ask.

She sighs and nods. "Yeah. Not too happy about having to work with Ron but there are worse things. Besides, we have a case to work on right now, so I'm not going to dwell on it. We need to stop Morrison first."

I smile. Always so resilient. I brush a curl behind her ear and lean down to kiss her. She returns the kiss but quickly pulls away, worried that someone would see us. I chuckle. "I know; stay professional in public. Just know I'm dropping that as soon as we get back to the flat."

She smirks and twirls my tie around her finger. "I would hope so."

* * *

 _ **Don't forget to review!**_

 _ **See you soon!**_

 ** _Stay Golden!_**


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: Shhh... This story's still on hiatus. I just took the day off school for a mental health day and decided that I owed you guys a chapter for being so understanding about my need for a break. The show goes up tomorrow (well, tonight since it's after midnight here)! Eeek! Wish us luck! (but say Break a Leg 'cause saying 'Good Luck' is actually bad luck in theatre). Anywho, remember, suggestions are still open so if there's anything you want to see in the story, please send them to my Tumblr. The link is on my profile page. Thanks guys!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Hermione**

I'm sitting in Central Park across from a large fountain. The team is scattered all around the park but I can see Draco and Harry wandering around a little ways away from me. Blaise called in sick (said he has food poisoning) so we're one down today but Q is filling in for him which helps somewhat. Everyone except me still has the charm on them so they should, hopefully, be safe while we watch Morrison.

We followed him from his flat to here and we've been here for just over an hour at this point but Morrison has yet to do anything. Q's been complaining a little bit but he shut up when Draco threatened to turn him into a fish again. Q really doesn't like fish apparently, but I digress.

I'm watching a little girl spin in the grass when I feel someone sit next to me. I don't have to look to know who it is.

"Hello Miss Granger," Morrison says.

"Morrison," I say.

"Fine weather we're having, don't you think?"

I shrug. "I suppose."

We're silent for a moment and take the opportunity to sneak a peek at him. He's relaxed against the bench and seems to be soaking in the September sun. It unnerves me how at ease he is. What the hell is this guy planning?

"I'll admit, after our last meeting, I didn't think I'd see you again quite so soon," he muses.

I shrug. "Let's just say that you piqued my interest after our last meeting."

He chuckles quietly yet slightly maliciously. "Yes, I imagine so."

"How did you know it was me?" I ask.

He straightens his posture a bit. "Not so fast, Miss Granger; This goes both ways."

I furrow my brows. "What does?"

"This 'interrogation,' if you will. You're not the only one who gets to ask questions here. I happen to have a few questions of my own."

I try not to grit my teeth and take a deep breath. "Deal."

"Seriously, G?" Q asks. "You're going to play along?"

"She doesn't have much of a choice, Q," Harry explains. "If she wants information, she has to appeal to him and if playing along is the only way, then so be it."

"What I wouldn't give to throw something at his stupid head," Q mutters and I hear Harry chuckle.

I try not to roll my eyes at the conversation going on in my ear and look at Morrison. "How long have you known that we were here?"

Morrison smirks at me and begins to speak. "Long enough. I knew the Ministry would be hot on my tail after my escape from Azkaban. I knew they'd send a small team to 'gather me' quietly with no fuss. I've been waiting for you all, actually. What I didn't expect was for the Ministry to send both you _and_ Mr. Malfoy."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Ah, ah, ah," he wags a finger at me. "It's my turn."

I purse my lips. "Fine. What's your question?"

"Why'd you become an Auror?"

I tense. Only three people know the real reason why I chose to become an Auror: Harry, Ginny, and Draco. I just made up an excuse to anyone else who asked. I avoid answering Morrison. "I fail to see why you need to know that."

He smirks. "I like to get to know the people I'm working with."

"We're not working together."

"Oh?" He raises an eyebrow. "And here I thought we were starting to get along. Well, if that's the way you feel, I'll just be going." He stands up and gets ready to leave but I stop him.

"I wanted to do my part in keeping my world safe from Dark Wizards," I answer. It's the same excuse I gave all my coworkers when they asked why I pursued this career.

He scoffs. "Your co-workers may fall for that lame excuse but I know better; I want to know the _real_ reason."

I hesitate. I want to lie. I don't want to go into detail about why I became an Auror, about why I went into a career my fifteen-year-old self would have never considered. But if I want to get into Morrison's head and figure out what he has planned, I have to answer his questions in return. And he seems to know when I'm lying... So, with a heavy heart, I take a deep breath and begin. "During the war, I Obliviated my parents and sent them to Australia in order to keep them safe. After the war, when I went to bring them home, I found that I did too good a job on them; their memories had been changed for good. There was no bringing them back." I take a shaky breath before continuing. "About a year after graduation, I decided to stop sulking and get a job. I wanted to make a difference but I wanted to do something that would have made my parents proud, even if they couldn't remember me. So, I decided to become an Auror. I wanted to ensure that what happened to me would never have to happen to anyone else. No one should have to know the pain of Obliviating their parents to keep them safe; no one should know the heartbreak that your parents will never know who you are ever again."

He sits back down and studies me long and hard for a moment. I stare back defiantly. Just because he stepped on a sore toe doesn't mean I'm going to let him win. My stare doesn't falter as I dare him to say something snarky regarding my decision. He should be smart enough to know that if he does, I won't hesitate to hex him on the spot.

Instead, he simply nods and I look away. "Your turn."

I try not to growl. "What do you mean you weren't expecting both Malfoy and myself?"

He picks at his nails. "I expected one of you; not both. I figured the Ministry didn't find me important enough to send both of their top Aurors after me; you obviously didn't find me very important before," he says, referring to the time before his Devon bombing. "Does this mean that I'm extra special since both of you were sent here?" I don't have to look at him to know he's smirking.

"Does it mean he's extra special," I hear Q mumble in my ear. "No, you psychotic bastard! It means you're twice as fucked as you thought you were-"

"Q…" Harry warns. Q mutters something but I miss it.

"My turn," I say and hold up a finger when he begins to argue. "You already asked your question: the snarky remark about you being special. Therefore, it's my turn." He thinks for a moment but then shrugs in agreement. "Fair enough," he says. "What, fair maiden is your next question?"

"You never answered my initial question," I say to Morrison. "How did you know it was me at the art show? I was disguised."

"And that was some very impressive charm work, I must admit. I can see why they call you the brightest witch of your age…" he pauses before speaking again. "At first, I wasn't really sure that it _was_ you or your team, as you were all disguised so well, but over time, I saw that it was as I kept noticing an influx of homeless people or businessmen or a beautiful girl and a young gentleman with her everywhere I went. It didn't take long to put two and two together. As for _how_ I knew it was you, let's just say that you're not the only one who's been watching very carefully."

I tense. "You have someone watching us?" I ask carefully. He says nothing but the way his eyes flicker, I know it's a yes. "Your accomplice, I assume?" He smirks in confirmation.

He stands up. "Well, Miss Granger, this has been a very stimulating conversation and as much as I'd _love_ to continue playing twenty questions with you, I'm afraid I must leave as I have a meeting to attend to. However, before we part, let me leave you with a bit of advice," he leans close to me and I have to resist backing up. "Don't trust everyone you work with; not everyone is as noble and good as you." My breath hitches in my throat and his smirk grows as he sees his message left a mark. "I suppose I'll see you soon. Good day, Miss Granger."

I watch him walk away and, when he's out of earshot, I let out the breath I forgot I was holding. I can feel my hands shaking slightly but I take a deep breath to calm myself down before wandering over to where Harry and Draco are standing. Draco's fists are clenched next to his side and Harry's running his hands through his hair; I can see Q and the rest of the team approaching us too. As soon as I reach them, Draco's fists relax but I can see that he's still tense. Q reaches us first. "What the hell was that?"

Draco looks about ready to snap but I give him a look that silences him. Meanwhile, Harry answers Q for me. "This is far worse than we expected. We need to get back to the Ministry ASAP. It appears that Morrison's accomplice is also a mole for the Ministry."

* * *

 ** _Please review!_**


	10. PSA

_**ATTENTION:**_

 **I apologize for the interruption but I have an announcement to make. Due to some confusion I think some of my followers are having (and to make my life easier) I will be changing my profile name and Tumblr name to Bex-La-Get on December 1st, 2015. Please spread the word to anyone who you know who follows me so confusion will be minimal. I will be posting reminders on Tumblr as often as possible so I can spread the word there.**

 **Remember: December 1st, 2015: thequeenofpearls and im-hurricane-drunk will become Bex-La-Get.**

 **Thank you for reading. Carry on.**


	11. Chapter 10

_**A/N: Happy American Thanksgiving, everyone! Hiatus is officially over (yay!) but school is not (boo!). Anyway, I wanted to say a huge thanks to everyone who understood that I needed some time to focus on my show (which went super well, by the way) and school. Now, the show's over and finals start next week... cue the internal screaming.**_

 _ **Anyway, I'm supposed to be writing a paper right now but instead I'm posting this because I love you all and your reviews make me happy! Thank you again for your patience and understanding!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Draco**

I really, really hate Gryffindors sometimes.

After the meeting with Morrison in Central Park, we regrouped at the Ministry and talked to Teigan. He shut down the department at once and began to interrogate everyone, under Veritaserum, one by one, starting with the team first. Hermione, Potter, and myself were cleared almost immediately. The team followed, shortly after. When Blaise returned the next day, he was also interrogated under Veritaserum and passed. After all of us were cleared, we were sent back into the field while Teigan began to interrogate the rest of the Auror department and then moved onto the rest of the Law Enforcement department. It's been over two months since that and we still have no idea who the mole could be.

In the meantime, Hermione's met with Morrison a few more times and each time, she manages to get a little information out of him at the expense of getting a little information from her. Sometimes, she'll tell him the truth and other times she'll lie. That day in Central Park, she told the truth about her parents and why she became an Auror but later told the rest of the team that she lied, not wanting their sympathy. She's been doing the same thing ever since. Only Potter and I know when she's telling the truth and when she's not. She's gotten pretty good a lying too, I don't think Morrison suspects her anymore.

Now, back to hating Gryffindors. I just found out that Hermione's been doing some investigating _on her own_ without the team. She's been lying to me and the team, telling us that she was going to the library to do some research on sociopaths or something. Today, I went to get her at the library and try to get her to take a break from work to get some lunch but when I didn't find her, I knew something was up. I set a tracking charm on the area to see if I could find her and, when I did, I found her spying on Morrison meeting with a tall figure. I wanted to grab her then and there but held myself back and apparated back to the flat where I waited for her to return to talk to her about it.

Now, usually, this wouldn't be a problem as individual investigating is common for an Auror; what the problem is is that she's trying to find the fucking accomplice, who's probably just as or _more_ dangerous than Morrison, by herself! With no backup! Sure, she has an exit plan, she always has a plan, but to go searching for a madman's possible lunatic sidekick with no one to help her in case she gets stuck and not even _telling_ me, that's what makes me mad.

"You Gryffindors, you always have this insufferable need to be brave and reckless without thinking! I thought you knew, better, for Merlin's sake! You don't go out and just starting hunting a psycho without at least _telling_ someone where you're going! What if you'd gotten hurt?" I say.

Her fists are clenched and she's struggling to stay calm. "I had to go alone because I know you and Harry and the team would have wanted to follow me and this was something I needed to do alone."

"Why?"

"Because there are times when I do my research best when I'm alone and-"

"THIS ISN'T RESEARCH, GRANGER!" I bellow. "This is a fucking case and we're supposed to work together! We can't do that if you're running off to different areas of the city trying to find a psychopath! I thought we were a team!"

"We are! But what was I supposed to do, Draco? It's been close to three months since we started on this case and we're no closer to finding Morrison's accomplice or his next attack than we were when we started. I wanted to do some independent investigating and I did. And in case you're forgetting, I'm quite skilled in defensive spells and I can handle my own well. I would've been fine had I gotten caught in a tight spot."

"That's not the point! I know you're good; you're good at every fucking thing that you do! The point is you can't just run off to investigate without telling me or _someone_! What if something happened? What if Morrison or his accomplice got to you first, huh? What would happen then?"

"Neither Morrison nor his accomplice would be that stupid to go after me directly-"

"IT DOESN'T MATTER! You could have gotten hurt!"

"But I didn't! Gods, Malfoy, I don't even know why you're freaking out about this so much. It's not like I haven't gone into the field by myself before!"

"But even then, I knew what you were doing and where you were going! You kept me in the loop!"

Her eyes flash with recognition. "So you're mad because I didn't keep you in the loop? Well, I'm sorry, Draco, but I felt like this was something I needed to do on my own but if it means that much to you, I'll keep you posted on what I'm doing but I've made a lot of progress with my investigation. If you think for one second that I'm going to stop, you've got another thing coming. I got really far in this; I managed to actually get a glimpse of the accomplice. It wasn't much but there's something about him that I swear I've seen before… I couldn't place it but if I go back out and get another look at him, I might be able to figure out who he is!"

I groan and throw my hands into the air. "You're not getting it! Yes, I care that I wasn't included in your plans because, Merlin forbid, if you got hurt, I wouldn't know how to get to you if I don't know where you are! But you can't just run off and investigate two madmen by yourself when one of them seems to have taken a keen interest in you. It's dangerous and idiotic and risky as hell!"

"I've gone out by myself before," she argues. "What makes this time so different? What it is about this time that is making you so crazy about me investigating on my own? Is it Morrison? The accomplice? What?"

"It's- it's-" I stutter.

"It's what?!"

"IT'S BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!" I yell out.

She freezes and looks at me wide-eyed. I can feel myself shaking and I just want to punch something. This isn't how I wanted to tell her; I wanted to tell her after we had been together for a while longer, over a romantic dinner with music and candles and rose petals everywhere. I wanted to make this romantic speech and then make love to her all night.

I didn't want to tell her like this: not in the middle of a fight; not talking about anything regarding work, not… not now. But the floodgates are open and there's nothing I can do to stop myself now.

I sigh and sit down while running my hands through my hair. "Granger… gods, I love you so much, it hurts. I have for a while; since around the time of Potter's wedding if we want to be exact. And it scares me; it scares me because I've never felt like this about anyone and all I want to do is keep you safe but I can't do that if you keep running off and chasing a madman down who might possibly be three steps ahead of you. I'm so scared of the idea of losing you. I'm terrified that you're going to go out on your own and not tell me or anyone else where you're going and then something's going to happen and you're not going to come back…"

My breathing is uneven and I won't look at her. "I've lost so much already, Hermione," my voice cracks. "I- I can't lose you too. I don't care that you're investigating on your own; I care that I don't know how or where you are. I don't mean that in the way that I always want to know where you are; I just mean that Morrison seems to have a fascination with you and I'm scared that, Merlin forbid, he'll try to take you away from me for whatever twisted fantasy he has cooking in his head and I won't be able to get to you because I don't know where you are." I can feel tears forming in my eyes but I brush them away with the heel of my hand. I don't even noticed that she's moved until she crouches down in front of me and wraps her fingers around one hand while she brushes my cheek with the thumb of her other hand. I wrap my free hand around her wrist and squeeze gently.

"Draco," she says quietly. I lean into her hand on my face but my eyes don't meet hers. "Draco, look at me," she says sternly. I comply.

Her eyes are soft but I can still the fire there that I've fallen in love with. I can feel myself melting underneath her gaze and I want to look away, fearing that I'll start crying but I can't; I don't want to. Her eyes hold a whole different world in them; a world that I'm dying to discover, if only she'd let me. "I'm not going anywhere," she says, pulling me out of my trance. "There's no way Morrison or his accomplice is going to get me. I've evaded Death Eaters, snatchers, and Lord fucking Voldemort, himself; I know how to escape a tight situation. But if it makes you that nervous, I promise I'll let you know where I'm going when I follow Morrison again. But I can promise you, right now, that I'm not going anywhere. We're in this together, always have been." She rests her forehead against mine and closes her eyes.

"Promise me you won't leave," I whisper.

"I promise," she says. "I promise I won't leave. I am yours and you are mine. No matter what this case, or the world, for that matter, throws at us, I promise that I won't leave. Because, Draco, I love you too. And I'm not about to let a maniac with a fetish for power take that away from me."

I open my eyes and begin to say something but she cuts me off with a searing kiss that I'm quickly returning with equal fervor. Without breaking the kiss, she manages to straddle me on the couch and I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her closer to me. The kiss is passionate but full of the unspoken words that neither of us have yet to say. We probably don't need to say them at this point. It's clear what we're trying to convey: _I love you. I need you. We're in this together._

Our kiss is broken by a frantic knocking on the door. We break the kiss and Hermione groans. I chuckle and peck her softly on the lips before she stands up and adjusts herself and fixes my hair before I answer the door. I'm trying to hide my smirk as I answer the door but as soon as I see who's on the other side, all humor is gone.

"Potter? What's wrong?" I ask. He's pale, his glasses are askew, and his breathing is labored.

"Harry?" Hermione asks, coming up behind me. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"We need to get to the Ministry as soon as possible," he says. "There's been another attack."

* * *

 _ **P.S. Dun dun dun...**_

 _ **P.P.S. Remember, December 1st, 2015, my FF profile and my Tumblr page will change to Bex-La-Get!**_


	12. Chapter 11

_**A/N: Two finals down, three to go next week!**_

 _ **Also, as you can see, I am officially Bex-La-Get on here, Tumblr, and now Pinterest. Follow me at pinterest dot com/bexlaget to see pictures/outfits/etc from my fics.**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Hermione**

I'm shaking. There was an explosion in Central Park; at least a hundred people were killed, many more injured. Half of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement is there right now doing damage control while the rest of us are here, at the Ministry, trying to figure out what to do next. The only good thing out of this right now is that we have Morrison in custody. Harry's interrogating him right now as Draco and I watch from the one-way window. The team went after Morrison as soon as the explosion happened and they found him at his flat. They brought him in immediately. What's unnerving, however, is he seems to have come willingly. We're not sure why.

"I'm not here to play games, Morrison," Harry says. "What did you use to set off the explosion and where is the next one going to take place?"

"Who ever said that there would be another attack?" Morrison replies. He's so smug, I can practically feel it.

"Don't lie to me!" Harry yells. "Where is the next attack?!"

"You know, I'm so sure I like your tone. I don't think I'm going to answer you."

"I'm not playing into your sick mind game, Morrison. Answer the question!"

"You know my terms, Potter. Answer them, and I might, keyword _might_ , answer your questions."

Harry's fists clench and for a moment, I think he's going to punch Morrison but instead he turns around and storms out of the room and into the hallway where Draco and I are. We turn to face him but say nothing as he regains his composure. He shakes his head and takes a deep breath. "I swear, if he wasn't unarmed, I'd kill him right now."

"Well, at least his wand has been destroyed for good this time," Draco says. "I broke it in half myself."

Harry nods. I see movement behind him and see Blaise coming up to us. Immediately, I want to punch something. Draco and I have been here for over an hour and Blaise has been nowhere to be found. "Where the hell have you been?" I yell at him.

He looks surprised. "I was doing damage control," he explains. "Helping out at the crime scene-"

"You weren't on the list of people sent out," I say. "And I called Q and he said he didn't see you there! So where the hell were you?!"

He's irritated. Good. He should know that he can't disappear when we have a crisis going on. "I was out," he says.

"Out where?" I ask, not in the mood to dance around the topic.

"I was taking care of something."

"Taking care of _what_?" I ask through gritted teeth.

"None of your Goddamn business, Granger!" he yells and I'm about to start yelling back when I see something in his eyes… something that suggests I shouldn't pursue this conversation further but as Draco likes to point out, I tend to have a bit of a reckless streak.

Before I can say anything, however, Draco inserts himself between us and pulls me away from Blaise. "Don't push it," he says quietly. "He's not a priority right now; Morrison is."

I take a shaky breath and nod, turning back to Harry and missing what I assume is a glare that Draco is giving Blaise.

"What are his terms?" I ask.

"What?" Harry asks.

"Morrison. He said he won't answer any questions until we meet his terms. What are his terms."

Harry sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "He won't talk to anyone but you," he says.

"Why am I not surprised?" I mutter and look into the interrogation room. Morrison is staring out the window and looking directly at me, as if he can see me through the window. I stare back for a moment and try not to shudder as I see him smirk. Taking a deep breath, I look back to Harry and Draco, making a point not to look at Blaise, and nod. "Okay. Let's hear what he has to say."

"Did he have any other terms?" Draco asks.

Harry shakes his head. "He wanted his wand but that won't work, for obvious reasons. Otherwise, he won't talk unless he talks to you."

"Are we sure he'll even tell the truth?" Draco asks.

"No," Harry replies.

"What about Veritaserum?" Blaise asks.

Harry shakes his head. "Tried that. He seems to have an immunity to it."

I fling my arms. "Great. Just great." I look back into the interrogation room. Morrison's stopped looking out the window but that smirk is still present. I take a deep breath and nod. "Alright. Let's talk."

Morrison perks up as soon as I walk in. "Ah, good to see the Ministry's not entirely incompetent."

I try not to roll my eyes and sit down. We stare at each other for a moment. "Well?" I say. "You wouldn't talk to anyone but me and I'm here. So let's talk."

He raises an eyebrow. "Ask away."

"What is your ultimate goal? You've killed more than a hundred people within in two explosions and I'd be an idiot to assume that you only planned two attacks. I know there's more coming. So what I want to know is what is the endgame? When do the senseless murders of innocent people stop?"

"Senseless?" he asks. "These attacks aren't senseless, Miss Granger. They're not even attacks. They're a message."

"A message to whom?"

"To the world; that the current regime won't last."

"What's wrong with the current regime? People are free to do what they want, when they want, and be who they want to be. Why would you want to destroy that?"

"You people on the 'Light side,' as you so call it, think you're all high and mighty because you defeated the Dark Lord and broke the chain of pureblood superiority. But you're just as bad as the rest of them."

"How?" I ask, trying to control my temper. "We've put away countless criminals who've committed countless heinous crimes but gave them a full trial first. We've ended the abuse coming from all sides of the Ministry and even made Azkaban more livable. What is so wrong about that?"

"What's wrong is that the system is still biased. Yes, you have trials, but the judge and jury are biased because they're part of the Order. They believe that they can do no wrong and anyone who's against them is the problem. Azkaban is barely more livable; the only difference is now there are no more Dementors and the inmates get slightly better food and fresh water. But maybe that's all we deserve since we're nothing but criminals in the eyes of the justice system. We're not people to you. Just another low-life who doesn't deserve to live because of a crime he or she committed.

"But then there's people like your partner and his family. They get away scot free because they have money and they claim that they'll behave. They stay on their best behavior and work their way back up to the height of society, bribing whoever they can to help them climb the societal ladder. Tell me, is that how your precious partner made his way up the Auror ladder? Did he actually have to work his way up or was he given a promotion because he's playing nice with Potter? Or was he just given the spot because he's the new member of the new Golden Trio?"

It takes everything I have not to slam his head into the table. Instead, I clench my fist and stare him down. "You don't know anything about me, my partner, my boss, _or_ what it took to get to this position in the department, Morrison, so I suggest that you keep your trap shut about that unless you want to find yourself six feet underground."

"Is that a threat, Miss Granger?"

"It's a warning."

He smirks and leans back into his chair. "Interesting…"

I take a deep breath and lean back into my chair as well. I can't let him get to me. He wants to get inside my head, to mess with me. I can't let him do that. He needs to know that he won't win this sick game that he's playing. He'll lose. I'll make sure of it. "So your message is for us," I conclude.

"Do you ever think about the people you send to Azkaban? Their families and loved ones? How they might be coping knowing someone they love will have to spend the rest of their life in wizard prison. And not just any prison; the world's worst prison, where hope and happiness go to die. Do you ever think about how unfair it is that some people can pay their way out of Azkaban while others, people who simply made a mistake, have to spend the rest of their lives rotting in a hell-hole, knowing that they will never see the light of day again?" I say nothing. "Unfair, isn't it?" he continues.

"This isn't about power, is it?" I ask. "This is about revenge."

"It's about justice for those wrongfully accused and sentenced by your so called 'better government.'"

"And killing innocent people is the way to fight justice?"

"It's the only way you people listen! I'm fighting justice with justice! You incarcerate innocent people just for being affiliated with the Death Eaters, then innocent people will die. It's the way of the world."

I shake my head. "No. No, it's not. We fought to make this world fair. To better our society and-"

"And how's that working out for you, so far? Being a Muggle-born is still a stigma. Sure, no one will say it to your face, but everyone always whispers; suggesting that maybe you're not as good as you think you are. You may have won the war, Miss Granger, but battles are still being fought every day." There's a glint in his eye that makes me nervous. "You should pay closer attention, Miss Granger. You might see the details that you've been missing." He pauses for a moment. "Have you searched my flat yet?"

I'm taken aback by the change of subject but nod. "There's a team there now."

He smirks. "Tell them to look behind Monet. When they do, give them these numbers: 14 - 09 - 26 - 10. They can figure out the rest from there."

"What is it?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "You'll have to find out for yourself."

I take a deep breath and stand up. "Thank you for your cooperation," I say before knocking on the window to signal that our interview is done. As I walk out, two Aurors walk in and take Morrison to his holding cell. He'll be staying in a cell here in the U.S. Ministry until the case closes and we can go back home.

I walk out and see Harry and Draco waiting for me but Blaise is gone; again. "Where's Blaise?"

Draco shrugs. "Down in evidence."

"Why?" I ask.

Harry sighs. "He said he wanted to compare some things from the explosion in Devon to the one here. I'll see what he finds when he returns. In the meantime, I want you two to head to Morrison's flat; find out what those numbers are for."

* * *

Morrison's flat is clean. Too clean. Not a sock out of place. His bookshelves are organized alphabetically, his kitchen is completely spotless, and his bedroom looks like it's never been used. The only sign of life is the suitcase in the corner. This isn't just clean; it's meticulous. Everything is in it's rightful place and nothing seems to be moved unless it has a purpose. It's unnerving just how organized it is.

Keller walks into the bedroom where Draco and I are going through some of his things and bids us to follow him. "I think we found something you'll find interesting."

We follow him back down to the living room to find a safe sitting inside the wall. On the floor, is a Monet painting that was covering it. Now I know what he meant by looking behind Monet. Keller looks at us apologetically. "It won't open to _Alohomora_. It's a muggle safe and seems to have some sort of repellent to magic."

Draco and I look at each other. "The numbers," we say at the same time.

"They're not just numbers," I start.

"They're the combination to the safe," he finishes for me. Immediately, I walk over to the safe and punch in the combination. A green light goes off and I hear the lock release. I pull open the safe and find the Holy Grail of documents.

Inside, there's a pile of various papers, files, and documents regarding _everything_ related to the bombings. Blueprints, letters corresponding with who I assume is the accomplice, maps of the city, and more are all in the safe. We start sifting through all the papers and realize just how much information Morrison gave us by giving us the combination to the safe. We gather all the papers and apparate back to the Ministry and arrange an immediate interview with Morrison again.

"That was quick," he muses as he sits down across from me. His eyes flit to the documents spread out on the table before looking back at me. "I see you found the safe."

"Why?" I ask.

"Why what?"

"Why did you lead us there? Why did you give us the combination to the safe? You know that you're not going to be able to make a deal, even with leading us to some prime evidence. You've done too much to get out of Azkaban."

He scoffs. "Like a deal would have been any better. Let me guess, the deal would have been that I go to Azkaban for a certain amount of time, then get released as long as I behave, then have to do some sort of community service, then get to live the rest of my life out in peace. Except it wouldn't be in peace; it'd be in paranoia knowing that the Ministry is 'secretly' watching my every move, making sure that I don't step out of line. Because all it takes is one toe to step on the wrong side of the tracks and I'm back in prison. Am I wrong?"

I narrow my eyes. "Answer the question, Morrison. Why did you lead us to that safe? Why did you willingly give us these documents?"

"That's two questions, Miss Granger," he says trying to rile me up but gives up when I don't react. "I gave you the documents because I got bored of watching you chase your tails in circles and not get anywhere. I figured I'd speed the process up a little bit."

I raise an eyebrow and slide one of the documents towards him. "Blueprints for the bombs you used both in Devon and Central Park. This suggest that you're using muggle technology to make these bombs. Why are you using that versus magic?"

He shrugs. "Muggle technology may be a bit passe, but you have to admit, they do know how to send a message. That atomic bomb back in in '45?" He whistles. "Now _that_ is how you send a message. Magic is faster but more controlled. With muggle technology, it takes a little longer but you can be sure that when it goes off, it will be spectacular."

It takes everything I have not to pull my wand out and hex him. I have to remind myself that this is man is a sociopath. He finds joy in making people miserable and finds nothing wrong with murdering innocent people. Taking a deep breath, I move on.

"What are these symbols?" I ask, pointing to the writing on the documents. The letters and documents are written in strange symbols and letters. I can't understand what they mean but I'm not an idiot; I know this is what Morrison and his accomplice have used to correspond with one another. I just don't know what they mean.

He smirks. "What makes you think they mean anything?"

"Because if they didn't, you wouldn't have hid them in a safe behind a very valuable painting."

His eyes flash with something I can't place. "Impressive; you really are as smart as they say." I purse my lips but say nothing. He sighs. "As for what the symbols are, well, you love a good mystery, don't you Miss Granger? I'm sure you could figure them out."

I narrow my eyes but decide to move on for the time being. "Who is the Serpent?"

"Sorry?" he asks.

"The letters," I say sliding one in front of him. The documents are all written in strange letters and symbols but the signatures are all the same. "They're signed The Serpent. I can only assume that's your accomplice. Who is he?"

"What makes you think my partner's a he?"

I huff. Truth is, I don't know it's a he. But my solo investigating gave me the impression that the person Morrison's been working with is male. The way they walked and held themselves suggested a male accomplice. I may not know for sure but something in my gut is telling me I'm right. "Call it a gut feeling," I say. "Now answer the question."

He smirks but doesn't divulge any information. "Fine. Then explain the alias. Why the Gemini and the Serpent?"

He chuckles. "The Gemini, as I'm sure you know, is the zodiac sign for the twins. Two different personalities which means that they're unpredictable. There's always more than one way to see something through."

"So you're the Gemini because you can work around anything," I sum up. He smirks in confirmation. "What about the Serpent? What makes him so special?" I ask.

"The Serpent is named after the animal he represents." I smirk as I see his eyes flash with frustration as he confirms my suspicions about the accomplice. It's a male. That narrows down the search quite a bit. I make a mental note to tell Teigan when this is done so he can narrow down the investigation of the mole. In the meantime, I urge him to continue. "Go on."

His eyes narrow but he continues. "The Serpent is supposed to represent the Viper. Poisonous, deadly, and always ready to strike."

"Who is the accomplice?"

"How's the investigation on the mole going?" He changes the subject. "Found them yet?"

"Answer the question, Morrison. Who is your accomplice?"

No response. "Where's the next attack?" I ask instead.

He smirks but says nothing. Instead, he studies his nails and begins to hum quietly to himself. I'm starting to get frustrated. "My patience doesn't last forever, Morrison and, believe me, you don't want to be at the receiving end when it finally blows."

He hums a little louder before pausing and speaking. "Have you ever thought about how a triangle became a shape? I mean, who thinks that three lines connected would make a good shape? And who decided it would be a good shape when mapping out a city? It's like building a canal but with no clear direction of where the canal is supposed to go. It just flows with no purpose."

I clench my fist and internally groan. This is going nowhere. Standing up, I knock on the window. "Done so early, Miss Granger?" he asks, smirking.

I glare at him. "For now. Next time we meet, you better have the answers I need or I will not object to using force," I say as two guards come in and escort him out of the room and to his cell. I walk out and run my hands through my hair.

Harry shakes his head. "Well that was a bust."

"You think?" I ask.

"What now?" Draco asks.

Harry shrugs. "Nothing right now. I'll let Teigan know about the accomplice being a male but otherwise, we've got all these ends covered. You two go home and get some rest. We're checking out the bombing site tomorrow and I want you two as rested as possible."

We nod and head back to the floo network as we mull over today's progress (or lack thereof).

* * *

 _ **P.S. All I'm going to say is don't be so quick to judge Blaise... you'll find out what he's up to soon enough. *evil laughter***_

 _ **Please review!**_


	13. Chapter 12

_**A/N: So, I finished my last final today! Woo! And I got some Christmas shopping done, which is a plus! And you guys get a chapter update! The world is just full of good things today! I hope you guys are having a great week and if you're stuck in the final grind, just know that I am sending you virtual coffee and good vibes! You can do it!**_

 _ **Also, smut chapter warning.**_

 _ **Tallyho!  
**_

* * *

 **Chapter 12: Draco**

Hermione and I are sitting in the living room, a glass of Firewhiskey in my hand and watching the television while she pours over the files from the case (excluding the files we found in Morrison's flat as they are currently locked up in evidence). Ever since we got back to the flat, she's barely moved from the couch as she studied the files and tried to pinpoint who the accomplice is and where the next attack is. So far, she's had no luck but that hasn't stopped her from examining through everything with a fine tooth comb. I barely got her to eat something and she's so focused, I doubt she's even realized that the television is on, let alone that I'm sitting right next to her.

Her wand is holding her hair up in a messy bun and she's wearing one of my sweatshirts and, if I'm being completely honest, I've never seen her look so beautiful. If only I could wipe away the frustration on her face, then I would feel better. I hate seeing her so stressed but she refuses to stop reading the files, convinced that she's missing something.

When she looks like she's about ready to pull her hair out, I turn off the telly and put away the files with wandless magic. When she looks at me, frustrated, I pull her closer to me. "You need to stop, Hermione. If you keep going, you're going to give yourself a panic attack."

She shakes her head. "I can't. I can't stop looking through these files, Draco! I can't give up, I-"

I take her face into my hands and make her look at me. "Breathe; it's okay. You're not giving up, love, you're just taking a break. You're exhausted; take a break for the night and go back over it in the morning. You may find what you're looking for after you've slept."

She nods and I wipe away the tears that sneak out of her eyes. "What are you thinking about?" I ask.

She sniffs before answering. "What if he's right?" she whispers.

"What if who's right about what?"

"Morrison. What if he's right about our 'fixed' society. What if we really are biased and only those with money are able to get out because they can bribe their way back into the good graces of society? Not that that's what your family did but-" I shake my head, cutting her off. "It is. But my father's always been a businessman. I learned a long time ago that he'll find a loophole around anything. I'm not offended by it; it's just the facts."

She nods and sniffs and I urge her to continue. "Draco, what- what if he's right? What if we've been pretending that this new society that we live in is great but really we're just as bad as the old one? Yes, people are getting trials now but the Wizengamot is biased and so is the judge and the Minister of Magic, himself, was part of the Order." She puts her face in her hands and runs her fingers through her hair. "We're just as bad. We don't think about the prisoners after they've been charged, we don't think about their families and what they must be going through. Someone makes a mistake by doing something they shouldn't and get sent to Azkaban for ten years, leaving their family to fend for themselves while they suffer in a dark cell with murky water, crappy food, and a cot that doesn't even pass as comfortable." She pauses and shakes her head before her eyes get that determined glint in them, that I fell in love with her for, making me think she has an idea. And she does. "We can't let it continue like this, Draco. When we go back home, I'm going to request a meeting with Kingsley and I'm going to change it. No more bias, no more one-sided juries, no more bribing your way to the top. We're going to make it fair; _really_ fair, so that everyone has a fair trial and everyone gets a fair chance. And we're going to make sure that the families of the people in Azkaban are well taken care of. We owe them, Draco; we owe the families of the innocent people we incarcerated. If we can't get them out, their families at least deserved to be taken care of while their loved one is Azkaban. And we're going to clean up Azkaban too. Make it far more livable. I don't care how long it takes; we're going to get it done."

I smirk. "That's my girl."

Her brows furrow. "You don't think I'm insane for thinking that a criminal is right about how fucked up our justice system is?"

I shrug. "He's not necessarily wrong. I've never been crazy about the new regime but I never said anything because I was worried if I did, they'd think I was trying to commit treason."

Her eyes soften and she entwines her fingers with mine. "They wouldn't think that."

"Yes, they would. I may be reformed, Hermione, but I'm still the son of a Death Eater, my family was one of Voldemort's most trusted followers, and I was a Death Eater, myself. Even though no one may say anything, believe me, there are plenty of people out there who would love nothing more than to see me rotting in Azkaban."

She moves closer to me as if to protect me and squeezes my hand. "They'd have to get through me first if they dared to try."

I give her a small smile and lightly kiss her. "Thank you, love. But… I hate to say it, Morrison does have a point. I don't know if you remember my friend Theo Nott," she nods in confirmation, "but his father was given a life sentence just for association with Voldemort. He never took the Mark and protected Theo the best way he could by making sure he kept his head down at all times. Alexander was simply an advisor of sorts to Voldemort and was given a life sentence while my father walks free. Alexander wasn't an angel but he was a good man and loved his son; and now he'll never see the light of day again simply because he wanted to protect Theo. It's not fair. I love my father and I don't want to see him back in Azkaban, but for everything that my father did, _he's_ the one that deserves to be in prison, not Alexander." She squeezes my fingers and I sigh. "We may not be able to save Alexander, but I want to ensure that no one else has to go what Theo goes through every day. No one deserves that."

She nods. "So it's decided, we'll make an appointment with Kingsley when we return and see what we can do about changing our regime for the better."

I smile and nod. "Let's do it."

We smile at each other in silence for a moment before my smile falters as I remember something else that Morrison said earlier. "What did Morrison mean by 'the new member of The Golden Trio?'"

She rolls her eyes. "Oh, that. Well you know that stupid nickname the press gave Harry, Ron, and I?" I nod. "Well, after the whole fallout with Ron the press needed someone new to add to our group and when you and Harry became friends and then you and me, you became the new member of our trio, for whatever reason."

"Huh," I say.

"Did you really not know?"

I shrug. "I only read the business section of the paper."

She nods. "Smart." She stands up and stretches before reaching out for me. "Come on, let's go to bed."

I give her a small smile and kiss her hand before taking it in mine and following her up the stairs into my - well, _our_ \- room. Since the night that we slept together, she's kind of just moved into my room. Since my room doesn't face the street, it's quieter than hers so she stays in with me rather than the other way around. Not that I mind; I like that she's comfortable enough to stay with me. And waking up with her in my arms every day is pretty nice too.

When get upstairs, I flop onto the bed while she walks into the bathroom to brush her teeth. I watch her from my position on the bed and smile. I know she doesn't see it but I think she's beautiful. Her curly hair falling around her face and down her shoulders as she takes it down, her eyes that have a slight honey color to them when in the sunlight, her small hands that fit so easily into mine and yet pack quite the punch (and yes, I'm speaking from experience). And who could forget that incredible brain of hers; she's so smart it's intimidating but I'm just grateful that I can match her wit and cleverness. I wasn't a Slytherin for nothing.

She senses my gaze and looks at me and my smile grows. "What?" she asks, walking back into the room.

I shake my head. "Nothing." My smile falters as I think of something, though. "Actually, that's not true. I want to talk to you about something."

She furrows her brows and sits on the edge of the bed. "Okay?"

I debate how to phrase this but I just shrug and decide to just say it. "Potter knows. About us, I mean."

Her eyes widen for a moment before she shakes her head. "Wait, what? When did that happen?"

"Today," I say. "While you were interrogating Morrison, Potter subtly interrogated me. Apparently he had noticed something was going on between us for a while and asked if we were seeing each other. I debated on lying but I thought about it and realized that you'd tell him eventually and just didn't feel like it would do any good to lie about it so I told him the truth."

"Which was?"

"That we've liked each other for a while but only acted on our feelings recently. I figured I'd leave the rest of the details to you."

She nods. "Anything else?"

I smirk, remembering Potter's final words on the matter. "Just the usual 'If you hurt Hermione, I won't be afraid to hurt you' speech. Nothing I wasn't expecting."

"But he handled it well?" she asks and I nod. "He didn't break into hives so I'm sure he's fine with it."

That gets a laugh out of her and I smile. I lean over to her and lightly kiss her lips but quickly get enveloped in her scent. The kiss becomes more passionate as I pull her close to me and lay her down on the bed and get on top of her. Her fingers run through my hair as our tongues meet and I can feel myself harden against her. She moans and I smirk before grinding into her causing her to moan again.

Her fingers trail down to the hem of my shirt and she begins to lift it off me. I stop kissing her for a moment to take the shirt off completely before returning to the task of kissing her senseless. I grind into her again and chuckle as she moans in my mouth. My fingers run up her sides and underneath my sweatshirt and take it off her, revealing a thin t-shirt that shows off all her curves with just the right amount of cleavage. A low growl erupts from the back of my throat before I leave a trail of kisses down her neck as I slide her shirt off her. As soon as the shirt is gone, I kiss all along her collarbone and to her breasts. She maneuvers herself to take off her bra and I help get rid of it as I throw it across the room. She chuckles but it quickly turns into a moan as I begin to suck on one breast while I massage the other. With my free hand, I slide off her shorts and she does the same to me.

My mouth leaves her breasts and I leave a trail of kisses down her body before I reach her knickers. Carefully, I bite her knickers and slide them down her legs until they're at her ankles and she kicks them off. I pull myself back up and put my mouth to her clit. The second my tongue makes contact with her, she moans and is running her fingers through my hair again. I love the taste of her; I also love making her squirm when I do this because I know it drives her crazy but good things come to those who wait. I remind her of this when she curses my name.

"Draco," she breathes, " _please_."

I can't resist her begging and I take one last nip at her before sliding off my boxers and pulling my face back up to hers. I kiss her softly and massage one breast while positioning myself and, with one thrust, I enter her. She gasps and I take the opportunity to meet my tongue with hers. I slowly begin to move inside her and she moans in pleasure, causing a low moan to come out of me as well.

As we become one, I relish the feel of her skin against mine. I make a point to run my hands all along her body, memorizing every curve and feature of her. I never want to forget the feel of her beneath me, the taste of her lips, the sound of her breathing, the sounds she makes when I'm buried deep inside her. I never want to forget what this feels like; me and her. The world is gone and all that's left is us. It's magnetic, this feeling, and I don't ever want it to end.

Our lips part for a moment and next thing I know, using a strength I didn't know she possessed, Hermione's flipped us and now she's on top. She smirks and pulls me up so we're both vertical as she finds a good pace for the both of us. Our breathing becomes labored as we continue and I wrap one arm around her waist and pull her close to me and rest our foreheads together. She's close now and so am I. I pick up the pace and her moaning becomes louder until she's screaming my name in her climax. A few thrusts later and her name escapes my lips as I hit my orgasm.

Our breathing is heavy as we come down from one incredible high. We share a few soft kisses before we settle ourselves under the covers. She rolls onto her stomach and rests her upper body on top of me. I smile and push some sweaty curls behind her ear. "Thank you for that," she says.

I smirk. "Well you never said we were going to sleep so…"

She laughs and kisses me. We lay in silence for a while and just when I think she's fallen asleep, she looks at me. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

She pauses for a moment before speaking. "Have you thought about… us at all?"

My brows furrow. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, after we're done with this case? I mean we decided that we're going to pursue this relationship but what happens when we go back home? What do we do then?"

I give her a small smile and caress her cheek. "I hope that we'd be able to keep this going. I meant it when I said that I love you. It's nearly killed me not being able to hold you and kiss you whenever I wanted to because I was afraid that you wouldn't let me try to pursue what we should have started over a year ago. I waited long enough for you. I've only ever been sure about a small number of things in my life, but one that I can tell you with full confidence is that you're it for me. I've never loved anyone else the way I love you and you're the only one I've ever been able to picture having a life with. It's always been you, Hermione. It always will be."

"What about your parents? What would they say if they found out you were dating a Muggleborn?"

I shrug. "My parents don't determine anything regarding my life anymore, _especially_ not my love life. I don't give two shits whether they approve or not. In the end, all that matters is that I'm happy and I'm with someone I love and I'd rather lose my entire inheritance than lose you."

She sits up and pulls the sheet over her to cover up her breasts. "What do you mean lose your inheritance?" I don't say anything. "Draco," she warns.

I sigh. "Not that I think he would, but if my father ever disapproved of something I did, or in this case who I marry," I don't miss the flash in her eyes as I say that, "he has the ability to take away my inheritance. I think he thinks that losing it would make me come crawling back and begging for forgiveness, like that would ever happen. My mother might be able to talk some sense into him but, usually, once he decides he's going to do something, he goes through with it. It's his life motto and part of what makes him such a good businessman.

"Anyway, when he finds out about us, chances are he'll threaten to take it away unless I break up with you. Obviously that won't happen so I'll probably lose the inheritance."

She looks at me with a mix of shock and admiration on her face. "That doesn't bother you?"

I shake my head and sit up. "I've managed to save up enough in my own private account that if he does take it away, I'd still be able to support myself; and you, if you'd have me."

"You'd give up your inheritance and essentially, your security blanket, for me?" she asks quietly.

I nod and give her a small smile. "Compared to you, money is trivial. I'd rather have to work a 9-5 job everyday for the rest of my life if it meant that I could come home to you rather than have a large fortune and an empty house."

Tears form in her eyes and I wipe them away with my thumb. She leans forward and kisses me passionately. I return the kiss with fervor but frown when she breaks it. She chuckles and looks at me while brushing some hair off my face. "I would take you rich, poor, homeless, jobless, or whatever your circumstances were. I love you and no matter what your parents decide to do, I promise you that we'll work through it."

I caress her face in my hand and smile. "And I love you. And I promise, no matter what happens, I won't leave. We'll stick together and figure it out. It's what we do."

She smiles at me and I feel my insides melt as our lips meet again.

* * *

 ** _Please review!_**


	14. Chapter 13: Interlude

_**A/N: I'm home sick today... So you guys get a chapter update!**_

 _ **Short chapter alert (or interlude as it is properly named) because it is not a real chapter but it is needed to move the story along.**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 13 (Interlude): Hermione**

 _I'm pinned to the floor in Malfoy Manor, Bellatrix Lestrange is standing above me cackling, and there's the sound of uncontrollable sobbing. It takes me a moment before I realize that the sobbing is coming from me. I try to control the sound but before I can even take a breath, I feel excruciating pain in my arm. I'm screaming at the top of my lungs, begging the gods to make it stop but all I hear is maniacal laughter and a searing pain in my arm._

 _When the pain finally stops, I look at my arm and see the word Mudblood carved into my arm and I recoil from it. When I look back to Bellatrix, she's gone and is now replaced with Morrison. He's giving me a wicked smile that sends chills down my spine. I stand up and he begins to circle me. "Poor little Granger," he taunts. "Couldn't save her parents and couldn't save herself. You can't even save the man you love; what makes you think you can save the world from me?" I try to respond but my voice is gone. I can't say anything and Morrison knows this. He smirks at me before vanishing._

 _A chill runs down my spine moments after he disappears and I can tell something is behind me. Slowly, I turn around and feel my heart stop. Draco's standing in front of me but he's not alone. There's a hooded figure standing behind him, holding a dagger to his neck. It's now, that I realize I don't have my wand and I silently curse myself for losing it. I have to save Draco, though, so cautiously, I take a step towards them but the figure chuckles, freezing me in place and sending another chill down my spine._

" _One more step and he dies," the figure says; his voice is deep, suggesting it's a man. It's almost familiar but I can't place from where._

" _Why should I believe you?" I say, relieved that my voice seems to have returned. Stupid, I know, but my gut instinct is to keep him talking while I find a way to save Draco._

 _I don't have to see the figure's face to know he's smirking. "Because even if you do manage to find a way to kill me, I'll still manage to slit pretty boy's throat here and no matter what you do, you won't be able to save him. Want to know why? Because this dagger, here, is poisoned with a poison from a tropical plant that has no cure. You might kill me, but your lover will still die."_

 _I'm shaking but I try to keep my breathing steady as I look at Draco and tell him with my eyes that it will be okay. That I'll save him. I look back to the figure. "What do you want?"_

" _Many things," he chuckles._

" _Name one," I say, my voice far steadier than I'm feeling._

" _Stop trying to figure out who I am," he says darkly. "I can assure you that it will only end badly."_

 _I furrow my brows. "Trying to figure out who you are… who- you're the accomplice. You're the one working with Morrison."_

 _He chuckles. "Very good, Miss Granger."_

 _I'm in shock for a moment until my anger returns and I feel like punching something. The accomplice to a maniac is holding the man I love at knifepoint and taunting me! Unwise, really, as I've had enough torment for one lifetime. I begin to strategize and try to find a way to get Draco free when I spot a dagger on the floor. The dagger Bellatrix used when she tortured me. I almost recoil from it but one glance at Draco and my resolve strengthens. Using some impressive wandless magic, I manage to get the dagger into my hand and hide it behind my back without the figure noticing._

 _I'm ready to pounce when he chuckles. "Be careful, Miss Granger. Those impulses of yours have gotten you in trouble before. Wouldn't want to risk it now. Or does he not mean enough to you?"_

 _Draco's eyes are pleading with me. I look back at him and silently promise that I'll save him. "Who are you?" I ask, keeping the figure distracted._

 _He chuckles. "You don't really think I'd tell you, do you?"_

 _I don't say anything for a moment. "I recognize your voice, though. As if from a distant dream or something."_

 _He's silent and I know I've got him. "So you're someone I know?"_

" _Everyone is someone you know in some shape or form."_

" _What the hell does that mean?"_

" _It means watch out for those closest to you, Miss Granger. Not everyone is as honest as they seem."_

" _You expect me to take advice from you?" I spit out._

 _He shakes his head. "I expect you to use your head, Miss Granger. You're no fool. Turn around and go back home while you can. Before you go down a road you can't return from."_

" _Never," I say, fuming now. How dare he. How dare all of them._

 _He pauses for a moment and then shrugs. "Suit yourself. But don't say I didn't warn you."_

 _Furious, I throw the knife at him but he disapparates before it can reach him but not before slicing Draco's throat with the dagger._

"DRACO!" I scream as I sit up in bed, sweat covering my forehead and my heart pounding. There's a split second where I fear that my dream is real but it's gone as soon as I feel Draco's strong arms wrap around me and pull me close to him. As soon as I'm in his embrace, I break down into tears. Briefly, my hand goes to his throat and when I find it's unmarked, I start to cry harder.

"Shh," he says, soothingly. "It's okay. I'm right here; I'm not going anywhere." His words are comforting but it doesn't stop me from sobbing uncontrollably. His hold on me tightens and he rocks me back and forth as I continue to cry and asks no questions.

I don't know how long it is until I finally calm down. Briefly, I glance at my arm and see the faint Mudblood scar and pull Draco closer to me and he kisses my forehead before laying us back down. He tucks me in and then wraps his arms around me, keeping me close. "Are you alright?" he asks, quietly.

I close my eyes and shake my head as a few more tears slip through. He wipes them away with his thumb and gives me a soft kiss. "It's okay; you don't have to talk about it right now. Just know that I'm here. I'm safe, you're safe. It's okay."

I nod and pull him as close to me as possible before falling back into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

I wake up a few hours later to find the space next to me empty. I briefly panic before I hear the shower running in the bathroom and I calm down. _It was just a dream,_ I tell myself. _A very, very bad dream_.

I roll onto my back and run my hands through my hair when I hear the shower turn off. A few minutes later, Draco walks out, already dressed and leans on the doorframe when he sees I'm awake. "Hey," he says.

I sit up and give him a small smile. "Hey."

He walks over and sits next to me on the bed and brushes a curl behind my ear. I lean into his touch and take his hand in mine and begin to kiss his fingertips. That nightmare last night scared the shit out of me. Bellatrix, I lived through her and Morrison just infuriates me but the idea of losing Draco… I don't even want to think about it.

The fear of last night's dream must show on my face because Draco suddenly looks worried. "What's wrong?"

I shake my head and look down at our entwined hands in my lap. "Nothing," I lie.

"Hermione," he says, softly and I can't help but look up at him. His eyes bore into mine and before he can say anything, I'm telling him about my nightmare last night and how scared it made me and that I'm scared in general because we're getting nowhere with this case and next thing I know, I'm hyperventilating. I don't tell him about recognizing the figure's voice, though, because I'm too freaked out as it is. If I voice that as well, I can't guarantee that I won't freak out more. So I let Draco pull me into his arms and rub my back soothingly as I try to calm my breathing. It's another few minutes before I finally calm down enough to have a full conversation.

He squeezes my hand. "It's okay," he reassures me. "I'm okay, you're okay, Bellatrix is dead and Morrison's locked up. We may not know where or who the accomplice is but I promise, he's not going to get me or you. We're going to figure out who he is, we're going to stop the next attack, and we're going to close this case quickly and easily. No one is going to hurt either of us, I promise." He pauses for a moment. "Do you want me to set up some extra wards just to be safe?"

I shake my head. "No, it was just a bad dream. I'll be fine."

He gives me a small smile and kisses my forehead. "If you're sure." He pauses before getting up. "Go get ready, I'll make you some coffee."

I raise an eyebrow. "You're going to make coffee?"

He shrugs. "What can I say? You and Blaise have influenced my taste buds," he says before walking downstairs.

I chuckle and get out of bed and grab a fresh pair of clothes before turning on the shower. I walk back into the room and close the bedroom door but not before I hear Draco casting some extra protective charms around the flat. I smile to myself and briefly think of how I'll have to thank him later before jumping in the shower.

* * *

 _ **Please review!**_


	15. Chapter 14

_**A/N: Merry Christmas week! I'm on vacation this week so I'm in a different time zone right now (jet lag is a strange feeling). Hope you all have a wonderful holiday!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Hermione**

It's been almost a month since the Central Park attack and we still have nothing. My interrogations with Morrison are only getting us so far and the files are still being analyzed. Quentin and Miranda have been put to work analyzing all the documents that we found in Morrison's safe, checking them for any kind of sign that would allow us to determine who the accomplice is and where/when the next attack will be. Both Q and Miranda are great at interpreting strange symbols but even they're struggling with the documents which doesn't ease any of the tension all of us feel.

Morrison isn't divulging a lot of information anymore. He'll keep up his stupid riddle about how triangles came to be or whatever but other than that, he'll say nothing or he'll change the subject. It's starting to become aggravating and I'm about ready to slam his head into the desk. When we first brought him in, he seemed willing to talk and share his secrets one at a time but now, he'll barely look at me. We've tried interrogating him with other people but I'm the only one who still seems to get a reaction out of him, despite his new reluctance to talk. I don't know what changed but I don't like it.

Currently, I'm sitting next to one of the windows at our flat as I think about the case. Something's not right. I don't know what but I can feel it in my gut. Something happened to Morrison causing his change in demeanor and I can only assume the worst. Either another attack is coming, or he's waiting to be broken out of jail. We have two trusted guards watching him at all times but I'm still nervous.

Draco's been doing what he can to keep me calm, and I'll admit, shagging consistently is quite the stress reliever, but it's still not ridding the gut feeling in my stomach that something bad is going to happen. I sigh and rest my head against the cold window but it doesn't last long as a glass of wine appears in front of me. I take it and thank Draco as he inserts himself between me and the wall; I lean against him and entwine his fingers through mine with my free hand. He kisses my head and I smile a little.

"How are you feeling?" he asks. I shrug but don't answer. Ever since my nightmare, he's been very aware that I'm not sleeping as well as I was and that I'm on edge. I haven't had a bad one since but I still can't shake the feeling that I recognized the voice of the accomplice in my dream. I know I could just be projecting but my gut is telling me to pay attention to it. I'm pulled out of my thoughts when Draco wraps an arm around me and pulls me close. "I know you're stressed, Hermione, but I promise we'll figure this out. No matter what it takes, we'll figure this out and end it."

I nod and try to ignore the chill that goes down my spine as his breath hits my neck. His chuckle suggests that he didn't miss it, however, and he moves my hair aside and starts placing soft kisses at the base of my neck. I drop my head back to give him more access and shudder at the chill that goes down my spine but before things can escalate, there's a knock at the door.

He groans and I chuckle. I give him a soft kiss on his lips but frown when we hear the knock again. "It's open!" I yell.

"No it's not," we hear Blaise say on the other side of the door.

Draco smirks and with a flick of his wrist, the door's unlocked and Blaise and Harry walk in. Both of them roll their eyes when they see us cuddling but say nothing. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your poorly timed visit?" Draco says and I bury my face in my hand to muffle my laughter.

Harry rolls his eyes and Blaise just smirks. "Just wanted to see how you were holding up," Harry replies. "And to let you know that Q and Miranda figured out what the symbols on the documents are."

I perk up at this. "Really? What are they?"

"They're cryptograms; it seems like Morrison took letters and symbols from dead languages and adjusted them in such a way that they still make sense to the intended readers but to the naked eye, they're just useless symbols."

"Did you figure out what they say?" Draco asks and frowns when Harry shakes his head.

"They're working on translating them right now but it's going to take a while considering they have to figure out which symbol means what, especially since they've been modified," he says.

My shoulders slump and I lean back against Draco. As he rubs his hands up and down my arms soothingly, Harry wanders over to the piano and begins to play random keys while Blaise flops down on the couch. I chuckle at Harry's attempt at playing the piano before closing my eyes and relax against Draco.

"Guess who I ran into the other day," Blaise says suddenly.

Draco thinks for a moment. "Pansy Parkinson?"

He laughs at what I assume is a disgusted look from Blaise. "Don't even joke. I haven't seen her since she moved to Brazil with her South American paramour and last I heard, she was happily married and had no intention of returning to London."

Draco shudders. "Thank Merlin for that!" They pause for a moment before Draco speaks again. "So who did you run into?"

"Theo!"

"Nott?" Draco asks in disbelief. I try not to perk up at this new piece of information and instead just open my eyes and listen to the conversation. After that conversation Draco and I had about Nott's dad, anything regarding him has piqued my interest. I feel bad for the guy; his mum died when he was a kid and his father has to spend the rest of his life in Azkaban. It's hard not to feel bad for someone who has no one left.

"What's he doing here?" Draco asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.

Blaise shrugs. "Says he's here for a medical conference or whatever. We're grabbing lunch tomorrow to catch up. Care to join us?"

Draco glances at me and I nod. We usually have lunch together during work but he should go see his friend. I think it would do him some good. He smiles and looks back at Blaise. "Sure, why not. It'd be good to see him."

They continue to talk about meeting up with Theo and I get lost in my thoughts for a few minutes before I freeze when I hear say Blaise say "Don't say I didn't warn you."

I don't know what the context is; all I know is his voice sounded remarkably a lot like the one of the accomplice in my nightmare. I sneak a glance at him and suddenly I'm highly aware of how his chuckle sounds similar to the one in my dream. Everything about him now reminds me of that hooded figure.

Needing to get out of the room, I excuse myself for a moment and try not to run upstairs and into the bathroom. I rest my hands on the counter and try to control my breathing. _It was a just a dream_ , I tell myself. _The brain can't create new faces, it just uses ones that you've already seen. Blaise being in your dream means nothing. It doesn't mean he's the accomplice. It's just the face your brain used because you've seen it so often. You're just projecting because you've been around Blaise so much lately. It means nothing._

My breathing slows as I repeat that in my head and after a few minutes, I've managed to calm down. I splash some water onto my face before returning downstairs but I can't help but feel more cautious around Blaise now. Just because it was a dream doesn't mean I'm going to let my guard down around him anymore. We made our peace after I yelled at him (even though I never did find out where he was during his unaccounted for time) but even Harry's still been suspicious of him since then. The look Blaise gives me out of the corner of his eye a few minutes later churns my stomach and I know that I'm right in keeping my guard up right now. Blaise may not be the accomplice, but he is up to something. I'm sure of it.

* * *

I'm in the bathroom getting ready for the day while Draco is still fast asleep. Lunch with Theo went incredibly well yesterday and he came back to the flat elated. So elated, in fact, that he made a point to make me just as happy as he was. We made love so many times yesterday, I lost count, and let me tell you, sex on the dining table when done right, is incredibly hot. A chill goes down my spine as I remember the way he made me feel yesterday and it takes everything I have not to wake him up right now and return the favor. But I'll do that later.

After I'm dressed, I lightly kiss the top of Draco's head before going downstairs to make some coffee. I'm reading the paper and nibbling on a piece of toast when I feel a pair of lips kiss the base of my neck. I chuckle and I turn around and place a gentle kiss on his lips. "Mm, you smell good," he remarks. "What are you wearing?"

"Well in some circles, we call it lotion," I joke and he scrunches his nose at me. I laugh and run my hand across his chin. "You're getting a bit scruffy; maybe I'll let you use some of my lotion if you shave."

His eyes get a seductive glint in them. "I can think of a few other uses for that lotion."

I chuckle as he leans in to kiss me. He wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me in close to him. Before things can escalate, however, my phone rings interrupting what was about to be one hell of a snogging session. I groan and answer the damned contraption while Draco leaves a trail of kisses down my neck.

"Hermione," I hear Harry say on the other line.

"Harry?" I ask, noticing how tense his voice is; Draco stops as well and listens in. "What's wrong?"

"You need to get to the Ministry as soon as possible."

"Why, what's wrong?" I ask.

He's silent for a moment before responding. "It's Morrison. He's been murdered."

* * *

 ** _Dun dun dunnn!_**

 ** _I'll try to get another chapter up this week but no promises as we're going to be in New York for Christmas and I may not have access to internet there._**

 ** _Please review!_**


	16. Chapter 15

_**A/N: So I'm an idiot and fucked up my own timeline in this story. Back in Chapter 9, it said that it was October when I really meant to put September. The change has since been made and now everything's back on track where it's supposed to be (I hope). Anyway, the current time of the story is early December.**_

 _ **You finally get a few answers in this chapter too, so I hope you enjoy!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 15: Draco**

Hermione and I are at the Ministry ten minutes later and it's an utter madhouse. Aurors are running around everywhere, reporters are flooding the main floor, and it's so loud I can barely hear myself think. I grab Hermione's hand and pull her through the crowd into the Auror department where it's even more chaotic than the main floor. We manage to find our way to the team in one of the conference rooms with Potter, Teigan, and Blaise talking quietly amongst themselves. They seem to sense our presence as soon as we walk in.

"What happened?" I ask.

Potter looks at me and sighs. "Everyone is dismissed. Return to your offices and wait until further instructions."

Everyone gets up and leaves the room except Blaise, Potter, myself, and Hermione. Potter sits down and slides a file full of pictures across the table to myself and Hermione as we sit down; Blaise remains standing by the window, not looking at us. Hermione flips open the file and gasps as she sees the photos. I look over and, in this moment, I really wish I hadn't become an Auror. In the photos, Morrison is lying in a pool of his own blood, stab wounds all over his body, including carving marks on his arms. It takes a minute for me to realize that the marks are more cryptograms. I begin to feel sick. The only other person other than the team who knew about the cryptograms was the accomplice which means he got into the Ministry somehow. It feels like nothing is safe anymore.

Hermione looks up and asks Potter what happened. My head is spinning so I barely process what he said but from what I catch, someone snuck into the Ministry between late last night/early morning, knocked out and obliviated the guards, and killed Morrison. Why they did it the muggle way with a knife instead of with magic, is unknown but Potter suspects that the murderer wanted Morrison to suffer. Why, well, we don't know that either. Morrison is currently in autopsy right now so hopefully we'll get some more answers after the examination but for now, we're stuck and I feel like screaming.

Our only lead to finding the accomplice (and the supposed mole who we still have no lead on) and stopping these attacks once and for all is dead. Murdered right under our noses. How could we have been so stupid? We were so worried about him trying to escape, we completely disregarded the idea that someone might be after him. And now he's dead and we're back to square one. I stand up and begin to pace and take a few deep breaths in order to keep myself from punching the wall.

Blaise and Potter continue to share information about Morrison's murder but I stop listening and begin to recite Arithmancy equations in my head to keep myself calm. Don't ask, it's just something I've always done when I was stressed about something. It managed to calm me down and I think it's because, unlike my life, Arithmancy is constant; you always know what answer you're going to get. I tune back into the conversation when I feel my pulse start to slow and look up to see Hermione muttering to herself.

"How the triangles became a shape… What the hell does that mean?" she asks, out loud.

"Hermione?" Potter says.

Suddenly her head snaps up and her eyes widen. "Get me a map of the city _now_ ," she says.

Moments later, she's pouring over a map of the city, not answering any of our questions. We've brought the team and Teigan back in at her request as well. Whatever it is that she's looking for, she needs all of us here.

"There!" she says, finally; she's pointing to a spot on the map. " _That's_ where the next attack is going to be."

She flips the map so all of us can see what she's pointing to. "TriBeCa?" Q asks. "What makes you think it's going to be there?"

"Think about what Morrison kept repeating during the interrogations. How the triangles became a shape and that nonsense about canals; it wasn't rambling! It was a code! He was giving us a clue as to where the next attack is!"

"I'm sorry, but am I the only one missing something here?" Q says. "How did you figure that out?"

"TriBeCa stands for Triangle Below Canal Street. Triangles Became was a hint towards TriBeCa with the first syllables in Triangle and Became. The rambling about canals was the hint towards the last part since canal is literally _in the name_! Morrison wasn't rambling or spewing nonsense, he was showing us where to go!"

"Okay," Q says, "say TriBeCa is where the next attack is going to be; how do we know _where_ in that area is it going to be?"

"And why did he tell us where the next attack is going to be?" Potter asks.

She sighs and looks back at the map. "That's the problem: I don't know and that terrifies me. TriBeCa is a historical neighborhood in the city with so many pivotal buildings and sites that I have no idea where to even begin looking for any suspicious activity."

"Actually, I might be able to help with that," Blaise says, coming over to the table. "I've been doing some digging on my own lately-"

"You've what?" Potter asks.

"It's why I haven't been around a lot. I knew we were struggling to find any information on the next attack so I decided to do some investigating on my own."

"You know you're not supposed to investigate anything without backup," Teigan says.

"Yeah, and look how that turned out," Blaise retorts. There's some tension in the air now but Blaise ignores it just as I ignore the pointed look Hermione gives me. "Anyway, part of my investigation led me back to Morrison's flat. I swept over the entire place three times before finding this in a book underneath his mattress." He places a piece of paper on the table with a map of the city laid out with TriBeCa circled in red. But that's not the interesting part; there's a red star marked on the map right over the Western Union Building.

"You think that's where the next attack is going to be?" I ask.

"It makes sense," he replies.

"But why the Western Union Building?" Q asks. "What's so important about that building?"

"It's a popular meeting place for many of the country and world's most distinguished wizards and witches. They usually meet once every month or so to discuss their businesses and how their investments are holding up."

"You think the next attack will be there because it's a central hub for wealthy wizards?" Potter asks.

"Morrison did say that these attacks were about justice;" Hermione says, "what a better way to send a message then to go after some of the most distinguished wizards and witches in the world?"

There's some quiet muttering of agreement around the table at that statement.

"When was the last meeting?" Potter asks.

"Early last month. I'm in contact with someone who organizes the meetings and I'm working on trying to get information on when the next meeting will be but my guess is any day now," Blaise replies.

"That doesn't leave us a lot of time," Teigan says. Before he can say anything else, Keller comes bursting into the room, eyes wide and breathing heavy. "We have a suspect in custody!" he says.

Immediately, my heart begins to pound louder and faster in my chest. "Who?" Teigan asks.

Keller hesitates before answering. "His name is Theodore Nott.

* * *

 ** _P.S. I have face casts of all the OC's (and Theo) on my TCC board on Pinterest at pinterest dot com slash bexlaget. Tumblr is the best place to reach me if you have questions._**

 ** _Please review!_**


	17. Chapter 16

_**A/N: So, I know it's about two days late at this point but Happy New Year! Hope you all have a wonderful 2016!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 16: Draco**

No. No, no, no, no _no_! It can't be Theo, it can't! Theo wouldn't hurt a fly! And yet, he's here…

As soon as Keller said that Theo was the suspect, everything went hazy. The last thing I remember is Blaise storming out of the room and I- I ran. I ran out of the room and must have run into the loo. That would explain why I'm standing over the sink, trying to calm my breathing. I splash some water onto my face and take a few deep breaths in order to calm my rushing heartbeat.

I'm so focused on easing my breathing, I don't even realize someone else is in the loo with me until I hear an all too familiar voice. "Malfoy."

I stand up and turn around so fast, I almost give myself whiplash. Standing by the door, looking at me wearily, is Potter; suddenly I get a flashback of sixth year in the girl's bathroom when we duelled and he used Sectumsempra on me… Shit. My breathing becomes uneven again and I can feel myself fighting to keep myself from hyperventilating. Damn it! I've been so good; I haven't had an attack like this in years! Of course it's happening now! Of fucking course!

"Malfoy, are you okay?" Potter asks, approaching me slowly.

I can't speak; I can only shake my head. I look around the room and begin to ground myself; it's a technique I read about after the war when dealing with panic attacks. You think of five things you can see in the room (the sink, the door, Potter, the mirror, the toilet), four things you can feel (the heat coming through the vent, my clothes on my skin, my feet on the floor, the water that's dripping off my hands), three things you can hear (my breathing, Potter's breathing, people talking outside the loo), two things you can smell (bleach and my cologne), and one thing you can taste (Hermione's chapstick from the last time we kissed).

Within minutes, my breathing is back to normal and my panic attack has passed. Potter's watching me, a knowing look in his eyes. He too has had panic attacks in the past; we all have. They're pretty standard after coming out of a war, especially when you had to fight in said war as a teenager. We've all managed to get the panic attacks and nightmares under control over the years but every now and then, they show up at the worst times.

I used to take a Calming Draught initially after the war but quickly realized I was becoming too dependent on them. Not wanting to create another vice for myself after trying to drown my sorrows in alcohol in sixth year, I learned about a less drastic methods of calming oneself during a panic attack, which is how I found grounding. It's come in quite handy and works even better than a Calming Draught, surprisingly.

"You okay?" Potter asks, when I take a calming breath.

I nod. "Yeah."

He nods and drops the subject. "Hermione's interviewing Nott right now if you wanted to see what he says."

I nod and follow Potter to the interrogation room where we find Blaise staring into the window, the only movement coming from him is his chest as he breathes. We join him and watch in silence as Hermione interrogates my old friend.

"What are you doing in New York?" she asks.

"I'm here for a- a medical conference," he says, his head in his hands.

"How long were you intending to stay in New York?"

"A while. I'm taking an extended vacation after the conference," he says, looking up at her.

She writes something down before looking back up to him. "Is he under Veritaserum?" I ask Potter.

Potter shakes his head. "There was a huge spill down in potions and we lost all the Veritaserum we had in stock."

"Of course we did," I mutter. _Incompetent bastards_ , I think to myself.

"Where were you last night between the hours of midnight and 4am?" Hermione asks Theo.

He shakes his head. "I told you already, I don't remember. I don't remember anything from last night."

"What's the last thing that you _do_ remember?"

He pauses for a moment before speaking. "The last thing I remember is having a couple drinks with Blaise and then going our separate ways after he walked me back to my hotel. You can check with the doorman."

"We did," she replies, shifting a couple of papers around, looking at what I assume is a written report from the hotel doorman. She nods in confirmation. "He said that you returned to the hotel just after midnight but his shift ended just after that and no one else saw you leave-"

"Which means it couldn't have been me!"

"Or it means that you snuck out of your hotel room without anyone seeing you. You could have apparated for all we know."

Theo slams his hands on the table. "Come _on_ , Granger, do you really think I would do something like that? I'm not that kind of person, you have to believe me!"

"I don't want to believe that you'd kill a man in cold blood, Theo, but you're not giving me much to work with here! And the evidence we have against you right now isn't helping you look innocent. You claim you don't remember where you were last night after drinks with Blaise, you were found wandering in an alley not far from here, and you had Morrison's blood _on your hands_!"

"I don't know how I got in that alley or how the blood got on me! I've never even seen Morrison before until today! Granger, please, you have to believe me; I didn't kill Morrison."

"How did you end up in that alley?"

"I don't know!" he cries. "I just woke up there with a massive headache and covered in blood. Before I had time to process what was happening one of your Aurors grabbed me and carted me off in here. I know it sounds stupid and terrible and it's not helping me at all but I swear, I don't know what happened last night! I don't remember anything."

I don't have to see her face to know that the gears are turning in her head. She stands up and walks over to him. "With your permission, I'd like to use Legilimency on you," she says.

"Why?" he asks, suspiciously.

"I just want to test out a theory," she replies. "Do I have your permission?"

During Auror training, everyone went through Occlumency lessons in case a criminal we were trying to catch tried to throw us off by using our memories against us. Those of us who wanted to pursue it more, like Hermione, also took Legilimency lessons. Potter and I decided against pursuing it more, both of us having more than enough of our fill of people infiltrating our minds during the war. Hermione, however, excelled at it just like everything else. She never used it though, so watching her use it now is a bit strange to say the least.

Theo watches her skeptically for a moment before he nods in consent and closes his eyes. She takes her wand out and says " _Legilimens_ ," and we watch in silence as she begins to sift through his memories. Theo squirms a bit but doesn't seem to push her away. She sifts for a little less than three minutes before she gasps and pulls out of his memories abruptly. Theo looks at her sadly and she looks as if she's about to cry.

They stare at each other for a few moments longer before she excuses herself from the room and meets us back in the hall. She's put on a brave face but I can see that she's shaken up. Whatever it is that she saw in Theo's memories, it wasn't good.

"You okay?" I ask. She nods and runs her hands through her hair.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Potter asks.

She shakes her head. "N-nothing. I just… I saw something I probably shouldn't have, that's all."

"Feel like sharing with the class?" Blaise asks but frowns when she shakes her head.

"I saw a private memory, that's all. And that's how it's going to stay: private."

Potter nods in understanding but Blaise and I exchange a skeptical glance. Theo's had a hard life for as long as I've known him so whatever it is that Hermione saw, it couldn't have been good.

"Did you find any memories from last night?" Blaise asks.

She shakes her head. "Not a thing."

"Maybe he blocked them from you?" Potter suggests but Hermione shakes her head.

"No, you misunderstand me. I didn't see any memories from last night because I couldn't find them. I didn't see any because there _aren't_ any memories from last night. They're gone."

"What do you mean they're gone? Like he's been Obliviated?" Potter asks.

"No, like they've been taken. Obliviation charms always leave something behind, like a residue. When looking through his memories, I saw no sign of that. The last memory he has of last night is going inside his hotel and then after that there's nothing. Just blackness."

"Let me get this straight: you think someone _stole_ Theo's memories? Just plucked them out of his head? Why would someone do that? _How_ would someone do that?" Blaise says.

"I don't know how. But I know that it's the only logical explanation as to why they seem to be missing. As for why, well, think about it: who would benefit from murdering Morrison then putting the blame on someone else in order to get us off his trail?"

"The accomplice," I say in understanding.

She nods. "Exactly. I don't know how or why but my gut is telling me that the accomplice is behind Theo's missing memories."

Potter sighs and nods. "You may be right, Hermione, but until we can prove that, Theo's still a suspect." He gets the attention of a couple of Aurors down the way and signals them to come get Theo.

"Harry, you can't be serious!" Hermione argues.

"I'm completely serious, Hermione. Just because his memories are gone doesn't mean he didn't kill Morrison. For all we know he wiped his own memories or had someone do it for him. I'm sorry, Hermione, but until we get any further facts, Theo's our prime suspect."

She looks like she wants to argue but suddenly turns a slight shade of green. Shaking her head, she excuses herself and stalks off in the opposite direction of us. I nearly pursue her but I'm distracted when Theo is brought out of the interrogation room. Our eyes meet briefly before the Aurors take him to a holding cell. I glance back to Blaise and we share a concerned look before looking back to the retreating figure of our old friend.

* * *

 _ **Please review!**_

 _ **Tumblr is the best place to reach me for questions and I have a facecast for Theo on the TCC board on Pinterest. Link is in my bio.**_


	18. Chapter 17

_**A/N: Slightly nervous right now because I'm only on Chapter 23 and I'm posting 17 right now... Oops. I gotta get working. Wish me luck!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 17: Hermione**

Gods, what the hell is _wrong_ with me?

I'm currently on the floor in the women's restroom after I've just thrown up the entire contents of my stomach. Oddly enough, I don't remember eating anything that could upset my stomach. Maybe it's the stress from the case and witnessing Theo's memories that made me sick.

Gods, just thinking about Theo's memory makes me want to cry. Poor thing. Images of what I saw flash through my mind: constantly depressed, feeling completely alone, the attempted suicide attempts. Yes, attempts, as in more than one. Muggle drugs, potions, practically starving himself, even attempting to turn his wand on himself. He's not in New York for a medical conference; he's in New York for rehab. But it wasn't just what I saw, it was what I felt. I felt his sadness, his loneliness, his helplessness. He's so lost that he'd rather die than keep going through everyday as if it were a chore.

And now he's being framed for murder.

No. I won't let him be convicted. Theo's gone through far too much to be convicted for a murder he didn't commit. I know you're probably thinking that I'm looking for the good in Theo but I know what I saw and what I didn't see; and what I didn't see was any indication that Theo would want to hurt anyone (other than himself). I will do everything I can to prove that he's innocent. Morrison's accomplice is still out there; once we find him, I'll clear Theo's name and help him see that life is worth living. I don't care how long it takes for him to trust me or believe me. When I'm through with him, he'll see that it is possible for him to be happy again.

Finding my resolve, I stand up and wash my mouth out with water before leaving the loo and going back to the conference room. When I walk back in, the team is listening raptly to Q and the pathologist exchanging information to the rest of us. Draco looks at me concerned mouths to me "Are you okay?"

I nod and give him a weak smile before giving my attention to Q and the pathologist, Dr. Rachel Glass (in America, wizard doctors are also called Healers but pathologists are given the title Doctor as person-who-analyzes-dead-bodies just didn't have the right ring to it). According to Dr. Glass, the cause of death was a stab wound to the liver. He had lost so much blood already that by the time his liver was stabbed, his body gave up. Morrison suffered quite a bit before he died, however; Dr. Glass suggests that the earliest stab wound was around 2am and Morrison didn't die until about an hour and a half later…

I can feel the nausea return and I make a point to take some deep breaths in order to keep whatever else is in my stomach down. She continues to talk for a bit about Morrison's death but I begin to tune her out as I can figure out the rest from there. I only tune back in when Q starts talking about the engravings on Morrison's arms

"Some of the symbols left on Morrison were also in the letters that we found between him and the accomplice," Q says, placing a couple of photos on the table. We begin to pass the photos around to get a better look at them. "We're still working on decoding the letters but we've managed to figure out a few letters and symbols here and there. One that keeps popping up is this," he points to a small symbol that look like an upside-down fish hook that curls in on itself with a horizontal line running across the top.

"What does it mean?" Harry asks.

"Serpent."

My eyes shoot up and look at Q before looking to Blaise and Draco. Blaise looks like he's about to punch something and Draco's looking at the photo but his eyes are glazed over, lost in thought. I glance at Harry and see that he's watching me. I know he can see what I'm thinking and before he can say anything, I snatch the photo out of Draco's hand and storm out of the room and towards the lift, ignoring Harry's calls telling me to wait.

I have to get to Theo and ask about this. There's no guarantee that he'll know anything or tell me if he does know something but it's worth a shot either way.

I reach the lift and grab the first empty one that I see. I turn around and briefly see Harry, Blaise, and Draco following me into the lobby. I make brief eye contact with Draco who gives me a nod of encouragement, before I press a button and the lift doors close.

I try to shake my nerves as the lift takes me down to the holding cells. Harry will be following me shortly, that much I know; I also know that I need to get to Theo before he does or else he won't talk. Don't get me wrong, I love Harry but sometimes he acts before thinking which doesn't make him the most efficient interrogator. More than once I've had to go in and talk to a suspect that Harry's had no luck with because whatever he's doing isn't working. Just like during school, I had to fix whatever problem he caused because that's what I do: I fix things.

I sigh. I know I sound bitter, but I'm not; really. I'm just tired of cleaning up after everyone. If it's not Harry, it's someone else and it's starting to wear me down. When this case is over, I'm going to have to sit Harry down and talk to him about that.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts as the lift doors open and I'm met with the quiet halls of the holding cells. I briefly speak with the receptionist then make my way down to Theo's cell. He's laying on his cot, staring at the ceiling. "Come for more questions?" he asks, sensing my presence.

"Just one," I say. "What do you know about this?" I ask, holding up the photo. He stands up and walks over to me and takes the photo from me. He looks at it for a moment before shrugging and handing it back to me. I sigh. "Do you know what it means?"

He says nothing.

"Serpent."

He tenses but tries to brush it off as if it doesn't bother him. "Oh?"

"That means nothing to you?" I ask.

"Why should it? It could be a complete coincidence."

"I stopped believing in coincidence during Fifth Year, Theo. You and I both know this has something to do with Slytherin house."

He shakes his head. "You don't know that."

"No, I do. And you do too."

He sighs. "What are you suggesting?"

"I think Morrison's accomplice is a former Slytherin. Possibly an old classmate. Can you think of anyone who would want revenge on the Ministry? On us?"

He thinks for a moment. "Someone who had been betrayed by the government. Someone's who's been punished for something they didn't do. Or they want justice for someone close to them who's been wronged by the government… why are you looking at me like that?"

I didn't realize my expression had changed until he pointed it out but I know what he's seeing. He's seeing a mixture of incredulousness and pity; and he knows it. "No; no, it's not me. Believe me, Granger, it's not me!"

"I want to believe you Theo, especially after what I saw in your head but after what you just said, you can't stand there and expect me not to be suspicious. I don't want to believe that an old school mate and one of Draco's best friends could be capable of killing hundreds of innocent people but you're in a pretty deep hole right now, and pulling you out is going to be hard with all the evidence stacked against you."

"You saw my memories, Granger! You _know_ I know nothing about what happened last night."

"That doesn't mean that you weren't involved in some shape or form, Theo. You may not remember what happened but that doesn't mean that you're innocent. Not until we find out what really happened last night."

I can see that he's struggling not to lose control. I didn't want to throw my doubts out to him but I had no choice. He's not giving me much to work with; I do believe that he's innocent, but I also know that something happened to him last night and until I find out what, he's stuck here.

He runs his fingers through his hair and sighs. "That symbol," he says, nodding to the picture in my hand, "it doesn't just mean 'serpent.' It's also a symbol for power. It's symbolizes a powerful witch or wizard using incredibly dark magic. That kind of music hasn't been used since before Voldemort."

"Like a horcrux?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "Worse. Much worse. Whoever is using that kind of magic, isn't just after ultimate power; they're after something more. I don't know what, but you better hope that you find your guy before he finds what he's looking for."

"What happens if he does find what he's looking for?"

"Then pray to whatever gods you believe in for mercy because there is no turning back from that."

"What is it?"

He hesitates before speaking. "That kind of magic is made to wipe out entire civilizations. We're talking genocide of the thousandth degree. Maybe more."

I shake my head. "There's no way. Morrison may have wanted justice but there's no way he knew that kind of magic."

"Haven't you figured it out yet, Granger?" he asks me. "There's more than one person in charge. Whether it's Morrison's accomplice or someone else, someone in Morrison's circle knows or is learning how to do that kind of dark magic. Morrison may have only been after one thing while his accomplice could be after something else."

My heart drops and I feel the nausea rise again. "You think there's someone else other than the accomplice?"

"I don't know. All I know is what I've managed to put together from what I've gotten from you. Either Morrison's accomplice is into some serious Dark Magic, or there's someone else out there that you need to watch out for."

My mind drifts to the mole… It's entirely possible that the mole is someone other than the accomplice… but there was only ever that one person Morrison spoke with. And the letters only ever said the Serpent; the handwriting was all the same too. I mull over it for a second before I look back at Theo, suddenly suspicious. "How do you know all this?"

"I managed to put a lot together from these two interrogations and the information you let slip when you were looking in my head."

I'm taken aback. "Excuse me?"

"Occlumency works both ways, Granger. While you were busy looking through my memories, I snuck a peek at yours."

Suddenly, I'm angry. "You had no right to do that."

"Oh, relax, I didn't see much. Just enough to piece together what you have of the puzzle so far. And a few other things that I kind of wish I hadn't seen, of course."

My eyes narrow at him as I will myself not to blush at the idea of Theo having seen my memories of what I assume is of Draco and myself. The small smirk on his face confirms my thought and suddenly, I'm overwhelmed with the strong desire to hex him. A voice breaks my thoughts before I can act on it though.

"Granger," I hear. I look to my right and see Blaise walking towards me, Harry and Draco hanging out farther back. "We have to get back upstairs; there's still a lot to discuss," Blaise says.

I nod and look back at Theo. "Thank you for your cooperation," I say before I begin to walk off with Blaise.

"Granger," Theo calls. I turn around and face him again. "I meant what I said about that symbol. You need to find your guy and fast before he finds what he's looking for."

My head is screaming not to trust him but my gut is screaming that he's telling the truth. With the two conflicting thoughts in my head, I nod and walk towards Draco and Harry, with Blaise following close behind. We walk back to the lifts in silence before I turn to look at Blaise. "We need to go to the Western Union Building. Now."

* * *

Draco and Harry stayed behind at the Ministry while Blaise took me to the Western Union Building. I want to see what it is about this building that Blaise believes Morrison would have wanted to make this place his next target. Other than obvious about it being a meeting place for esteemed witches and wizards, it looks just like another office building. Nothing particularly special about it. Still, you can never be too careful.

We split up on the third floor and I'm currently wandering around, trying to see if anything would have piqued Morrison's interest when I walk by a daycare. I can't tell you why, but for some unfathomable reason, I'm stopped in my tracks. There's nothing remarkable about the daycare; if anything it's probably the least suspicious of all the rooms in the building. And yet, I can't move.

There's a group of kids sitting around a table coloring and talking amongst each other and a few other kids scattered around the room playing with various toys. I don't know why, but suddenly I'm overwhelmed with this maternal desire to protect these kids; to keep them safe from any and all harm. It sounds insane, I know! I'm not even sure where this need came from; I hadn't ever really thought about having kids (not recently, at least) so this literally just came out of nowhere. And I can't shake it.

The same thoughts keep running through my head: _I have to protect these kids. I need to keep them safe._

I don't even realize that I'm crying until I hear Blaise call my name. I quickly wipe away the tears that escaped and look to him. He raises an eyebrow at me but I shake my head. "Find anything?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "Not a damn thing. This place is spotless."

I nod in agreement. I'm about to suggest that we head out when I make the mistake of glancing back into the daycare and I'm overwhelmed with the desire to protect those kids all over again. I suddenly have a sinking feeling in my gut that Blaise is right; it doesn't matter that the building is clean, this is the spot of the next attack. I can feel it.

"We need to move that meeting," I tell him.

He furrows his brows. "What? Why?"

I shake my head. "I can't explain it; all I can tell you is that my gut is telling me that the attack will still be here. We need to move that meeting, Blaise. We can't let more people die." _We can't let these kids die._

He gives me a sympathetic look. "Hermione, that's going to be easier said than done."

"Did you get information from your contact on when the next meeting is?"

He nods. "He said it's two weeks from tomorrow."

"That doesn't give us a lot of time, then."

"A lot of time for what?" he asks, confused.

"To move the meeting."

"Hermione, we can't just pick up and move one of the most important meetings in the Wizarding world in a matter of _two weeks_."

"Why not? Who says that we can't?"

"There are protocols that we have to follow and these people are used to holding their meeting here. They won't just quietly comply."

"That's just because they haven't met me yet," I say, determined.

* * *

 _ **P.S. The Serpent symbol is on the TCC board on Pinterest.**_

 _ **Please review!**_


	19. Chapter 18: Interlude

_**A/N: Second semester of Junior Year is a go tomorrow. I really don't want to go but, after this semester, I'll only have one year left! Woo! Anyway, just thought I'd share that fun fact.**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 18: Hermione (Interlude)**

I'm home sick, today. I was up all night, feeling incredibly uncomfortable. First, I was too hot, then I was too cold, then I couldn't get comfortable, and then I threw up. Eventually, I just gave up on trying to get some rest and went downstairs while Draco at least got some sleep. It wouldn't do any good if neither of us slept. Eventually, I fell asleep on the couch around 3am but only woke up four hours later when the nausea returned.

I didn't even argue when Draco told me to stay home for the day. I was so tired and I felt like crap and I just wanted to sleep so that's what I did. He made sure I was okay and reassured me that he would be back no later than 5pm and if he could check on me earlier, he would, then he left for work.

Thankfully, I slept soundly until just past 11am. Not a full night's sleep or even enough to make up for how much sleep I had lost but at least I felt better when I woke up. After a shower and a small breakfast, I started making some phone calls. The meeting is less than two days away and despite my consistent efforts, Ivan Rostov, the organizer of these meetings, is absolutely _refusing_ to move it. He claims that they've never have an issue with holding the meetings at that building before and insists that they won't have a problem now, even with the knowledge of an imminent attack hanging over their heads.

I've called every day for the past two weeks to try and reason with him but he's not budging. Unfortunately for him, I am very stubborn and incredibly persistent. There's no way I'm giving up. If I have to pull them out of the building, one by one, _myself,_ I will do it. And try as I might to ignore the feeling, my mind still goes back to those kids that I saw. _I need to protect those kids_ , is all that keeps going through my mind. I still don't know why but I've just kind of accepted it as an instinct to protect those who can't protect themselves that kicked in after the war.

"I know I just spoke to Mr. Rostov about this yesterday, but the meeting is in _two days_ , and he hasn't returned my calls since Monday," I tell his personal assistant.

"I understand, Miss Granger, but Mr. Rostov is a very busy man and he insists that the attack you're hearing about is just a rumor," she tells me.

I roll my eyes. "It's not just a rumor, it's fact! We have proof that it's going to happen there!"

"I'm sorry, Miss Granger, but I'm afraid there's nothing that I can do."

I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose. "Fine. Can you at least tell him that I called again and _please_ ask him to call me back. Please."

"Of course. Have a good day, Miss Granger."

I scoff and hang up the phone before throwing it onto the bed. This is such bullshit! People are going to die if he doesn't listen to me! Why is he being so difficult?! Why… uh oh. I can feel the nausea returning and I run to the toilet just in time to throw up what little contents my stomach held already. When I can't heave any longer, I flush the toilet and get up to rinse my mouth out at the sink.

"Ugh," I groan. What the _hell_? Why am I so sick? I don't understand why I've been throwing up so much lately, last night and today especially. It doesn't make any sense; I haven't eaten anything strange that would upset my stomach and Draco and I always use protection… or… suddenly my mind begins to flash back to the day that Morrison got arrested… I had been stressed and Draco was just trying to make me feel better that… and there was the night after Theo came into town… I thought...

 _No._ I grab my wand and perform the spell on myself. I only wait two agonizing minutes before my wand lights up as a pale blue color.

 _Fuck_. _Shit. Goddamnit!_ This can't be happening! Not now! Not when we have so much going on with the case. _No no no no!_

And yet, it explains so much: the nausea, the mood swings, the sudden maternal need to protect those kids in the daycare, and even the slight amount of weight that I've gained. I thought it was just because I was stressed… not because of…

Oh, what am I going to tell Draco? _How_ am I going to tell Draco? What happens when everyone else finds out? Would I get kicked off the case and sent back home?

I rest my hands on the counter and take a deep breath. Stressing isn't good for me. After all, I have someone else to worry about now.

I drop my head and sigh, deciding that right now, I won't say anything until I figure out how to tell Draco. Nodding with that idea, I rest my hand on my abdomen and I look back to my wand and the flashing blue light emitting from it, that only means one thing.

I'm pregnant.

* * *

 _ **P.S. So many of you already figured out or suspected that Hermione was pregnant. I realize I made it somewhat obvious in the last chapter but congrats to those of you who figured it out right away!**_

 _ **Also, shoutout to the reader who pointed out that Rostova was written wrong and that it should be Rostov since he's a man. The error has since been corrected.**_

 ** _Stay Golden!_**

 ** _Please Review!_**


	20. Chapter 19: Interlude

_**A/N: So auditions are on Friday! Wish me luck!**_

 _ **Smut chapter alert!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 19: Hermione (Interlude)**

Draco comes home a few hours later after I've accepted my… well, we'll call it my situation, for now. To distract myself, I've made a few more phone calls regarding moving the meeting; Rostov still won't budge (and I'm pretty sure he cursed at me in Russian a couple times) but I'm still not giving up.

For now, however, I'm working with the person in charge of an advertising agency a couple floors down from that meeting. They've agreed to evacuate the entire floor for the next couple of days and has also agreed to speak with the building manager to see what she can do to evacuate the rest of the building. It's not much but it's better than having a building full of people when there's a terror threat. Now if only Rostov would stop being a little shit and just _listen_ to me-

I'm interrupted by a pair of lips kissing the base of my neck and a pair of hands wrapping themselves around my waist. My stomach churns as his hands meet my midsection and I think of how his hands are touching his child. _Our child_. I still haven't figured out how I'm going to tell him; if I'm being honest, I'm downright terrified of how he'll react. He's not one for big blowups but I'm still worried about his reaction.

I decided that before I tell him, I'd make an appointment with a Healer to confirm the test. Once I get the answer from them (which I'm sure will only confirm what I already know) then I'll tell him. My appointment is scheduled for next week after, hopefully, this mess with the next attack is taken care of.

Draco's hands sliding up my shirt slightly, distract me from my thoughts. "You seem to be feeling better," he muses.

"I am," I reply, and it's true. Ever since I found out I was pregnant, something changed. The nausea subsided and I managed to be able to hold down a solid lunch (although it was just soup) but all around, I just feel _better_. I can't explain it, and I don't really want to. I like this feeling that I have, and I want to hold onto it and keep it for myself for a little while. "How was work?" I ask.

I can feel him shrug from behind me. "We didn't get too much done. The area around the Western Union Building is surrounded and we're hoping to have the streets blocked off no later than tomorrow morning. We've sent out a message to the local papers that the Ministry is doing a routine training for Aurors and the Muggles think the same thing is going on with the local police department. Hopefully, we'll be able to figure out where the bomb is and get rid of it before anything happens."

"Rostov still won't budge but I've talked with a couple other managers on the other floors and they're working on clearing out their respective floors. All we need is Rostov to listen to us and move the meeting," I say.

"Can't we just remove them by force?"

I shake my head. "Rostov has far too much money and could have the entire Ministry in his hands by the end of the day if we try that. We'll just have to stick with persistence and hope that he listens."

Draco nods and kisses the base of my neck again. "I don't want to talk about work anymore…" he growls in my ear.

I chuckle as a chill goes down my spine. "What _do_ you want to talk about then?"

He turns me around in his arms and lowers his lips to mine, stopping inches before they touch. "No more talking," he whispers before capturing me in a passionate kiss. The moment our lips meet, I melt into him and I just allow myself to forget about everything for a little while: the case, Morrison, Theo, the baby… it just all melts away as I wrap my arms around Draco's neck and pull him as close to me as I possibly can. He tightens his grip around my waist and deepens the kiss as he leads us to the bed.

We break for air just as the back of my legs hit the bed. We use the opportunity to begin taking off any and all articles of clothing. His shirt is the first thing that goes flying and then next thing I know, we're down to our underwear. He reaches for my bra but I hold him off just a little longer by pushing his arms down. "Let me," I say.

I turn us around and lay him down on the bed and straddle him. I lean down and lightly kiss his lips before making my way down his body slowly and meticulously, making a point to not miss any part of him. He moans quietly as I lightly kiss over his chest and nipples. I pinch one and smirk as his body responds to me and his back arches.

I continue my way down his body until I reach his boxers. Slowly, I slide them off until they pool at his feet then continue to kiss down his body. When I reach his cock, I wrap my hand around it and he groans. I smirk and begin to run my hand along his length as his moans get louder and longer. I continue with my hand for another minute before I replace it with my mouth. Slowly, I move up and down his cock, gaining speed bit by bit. His moans are music to my ears and his fingers wrapped in my hair only urge me to continue. I pull back, swirl my tongue around his head then surround him again. I tighten my mouth around him a little bit and he moans in pleasure.

It's only when I know he's close that I replace my mouth and finish the job with my hand. His eyes are closed and his breathing is rapid and uneven; I know when I see a small smile growing on his face that I've got him right where I want him.

A few minutes later, he's calling out my name in his climax and I'm smiling, satisfied that I can have this effect on him. I use a cleaning charm on my hand with my wand before I curl up next to him on the bed. He smiles at me and wraps an arm around my waist and kisses me softly. "That was… amazing," he breathes out.

I smile victoriously. "I serve to please," I say as I lightly kiss his lips. He quickly deepens the kiss and rolls over on top of me. I lift my back up as he unclasps my bra and throws it across the room then slowly kisses down my body.

He takes his time and makes a point not to miss any point on my body, just as I did with him. I know he's going to torture me when he slowly bites my knickers and slides them off me then kisses up my body slowly, starting with my legs and going up until he reaches my clit. He smirks at me before he spreads my legs and begins to lick me. I moan and arch my back as I revel in the feel of his tongue running along my clit. He's holding my hips down so I can't buck against him so I'm stuck with arching my back and running my fingers through his hair.

He nips at me a couple times and I feel like I could die and be reborn in this one moment and I wouldn't even know because of the utter state of bliss that I'm in right now. I don't want this moment to end; I just want it to be me and Draco until the end of time.

He replaces his tongue with his fingers when he can sense that I'm getting closer. My breathing hitches as he comes back to my level and kisses me gently, despite the two fingers giving me intense pleasure. I moan into the kiss and deepen it; I need him, all of him. I begin to run my fingers through his hair but he pulls out of the kiss before I can keep him there and makes a trail down my body and to my breasts. With his free hands, he massages one breast while sucking on the nipple of my other one.

I'm in complete and utter bliss but I know it's not lasting; faster than I can count, my orgasm hits me like a train and I cry out Draco's name in a strained voice that sounds foreign to me. Draco kisses me softly as my breathing returns to normal. The way he caresses my body afterwards is so gentle, it's as if he's memorizing me. Every curve, the feel of my skin underneath his fingers, the taste of my lips against his; he's trying to piece together a puzzle and, lucky for me, I'm that puzzle.

I'm not going to go into detail about the amazing shag that occurs later that night but I will say this: if I died tomorrow, I would die a sated, happy, and deliriously in love woman.


	21. Chapter 20

**_A/N: Audition Update: Initial audition went well and I got THREE callbacks the day after! All three callbacks went well but sadly I wasn't cast in any of the shows I auditioned for. However, it was a lot of fun and great experience so I'm taking it with a grain of salt and using this experience to strengthen my further auditions. Thanks to everyone who wished me luck during the process!_**

 ** _Tallyho!_**

* * *

 **Chapter 20: Hermione**

We're standing around the Western Union Building with a team all around the building and vicinity. Blaise, Q, and Keller are off doing surveillance about a block or two away from here while Harry and Draco are out front, monitoring the street. I sigh and walk out of the building, wrapping my jacket around me as I walk towards Harry and Draco.

"How'd it go?" Harry asks.

I shake my head. "Rostov still refuses to move the meeting. He's convinced that nothing is going to happen since we're all here to and I quote 'prevent anything from happening.' Like we can just determine when the bomb is going to go off or _if_ or _where_ it's going to happen in the area!" I throw my hands in the air and groan. "I don't know what else there is to do."

"Q, you wanna give it a go?" Blaise asks in the earpiece and I hear a snort.

"Hell no! If Rostov won't listen to G, then there's no way in hell he'd listen to me!"

"Oh come on," Draco says. "Don't give up yet, Q. Maybe you could just talk incessantly and he'll cave!"

"Ha, ha, ha, you're hilarious," Q says sarcastically.

"I am pretty funny, now that you mention it," Draco smirks.

"Alright boys, that's enough. We have work to do," I say, looking pointedly at Draco. He shrugs and winks at me before turning his attention to one of the team members whose updating him on the positions of everyone on the team.

Q mutters something in my ear but I miss it and shrug it off. I walk to Harry and give him a small smile. "How are we looking?" I ask.

He returns the smile. "Pretty good. We have all the information except for when the bomb is going to go off but we've got a protection spell over the area and an emergency team ready to go for when the bomb goes off."

"And you? How are you holding up?"

He wraps an arm around me and I lay my head on his shoulder. "I'm alright; little on edge but I'm okay. You?"

I briefly rest my hand on my abdomen before shrugging and lifting my head from his shoulder. "Ask me once this is over," I say and he smirks.

"Uhh guys?" I hear Keller say on the earpiece. "We have a small problem."

"What's up, K?" Harry asks.

"Umm… well, Q and Z have disappeared."

"WHAT?!" Harry, Draco, and I say at the same time.

"What do you mean they disappeared?" Draco says.

"Just that! One moment they were here, then I walked away for a minute -and not even very far- and when I came back they were gone." The panic in his voice is very noticeable.

Immediately Draco and Harry begin to try and get a hold of Q and Blaise and the team is suddenly on high alert that two our team members have vanished into thin air. "Is it possible that they apparated out of the area?" I hear someone ask.

"I would have heard the sound of apparition," Keller says.

"Why would they leave?" Draco asks.

"More importantly, where would they go?" Harry asks. "Their job is here, they have no reason to leave the area unless instructed to do so and they were _not_ told to do so!"

"So what the hell happened to them?" Keller asks.

While they're trying to figure out what happened to Blaise and Q, I wander out a bit into the street, just on a hunch and begin to look around for anything out of the ordinary. What the hell could have happened to Blaise and Q? It's not like them to just vanish; not when we're this close to stopping the next attack. Sure, Blaise had disappeared during the case before, but he was doing solo work; he wouldn't disappear on us now. And Q! Q is one of the most dedicated people I know; sure he talks a lot but he's good at what he does. He wouldn't disappear when we need him most. This is so unlike either of them.

As I'm wandering through the street, I see something out of the corner of my eye that looks like movement. I look towards it and try to see what it is but I don't get the chance when I hear someone scream.

And that's when it starts: the scream, a loud noise, the explosion.

And then everything goes black.

* * *

 _ **Sorry...**_


	22. Chapter 21

_**A/N: Just a fair warning, this chapter jumps between POVs.**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 21: Draco**

Everything happens so fast, I barely remember it.

Blaise and Q had just gone missing and we were trying to figure out what happened to them when we heard someone scream. I still don't know who it was. Then a loud noise, then the explosion. Instinctively, I surround Potter and myself in a protection charm to keep us safe from the explosion.

The moments after the explosion are still blurry. There's screaming, people running in all directions, and… _Hermione_. I can see her a little ways away; she's laying on the ground, unconscious and in a small pool of what looks like blood. Members of the emergency team are quickly surrounding her to check on her. I don't even realize I'm running to her until I'm on my knees, out of breath, right next to her looking for a pulse. When I find one, I'm relieved briefly until I realize just how weak it is.

"We need to get her to a hospital _now!_ " I yell.

Next thing I know, we're at the local muggle hospital. Potter's currently arguing with an EMT who just so happens to be a wizard; I'm holding onto Hermione's hand, hoping she knows I'm here with her.

"We need to move her to a _wizarding_ hospital that has her records and previous _proper_ medical history!" Potter says.

"We'll do a fine job here with the limited information we have, Mr. Potter," the Healer argues.

"Absolutely not! She needs magical medical attention! Muggle remedies won't help!"

The Healer sighs, knowing he's fighting a losing battle. "Okay. She's stable enough to move but we can't transfer her to St. Mungo's without the next of kin's approval. Do you have that right?"

"No; but her husband does," Potter says. I look up to find them looking at me and I realize that Potter is faking that Hermione and I are married in order to move her back to London. I don't hesitate once I realize I'm the one in power here.

"Let's make the transfer," I nod.

* * *

The head Healer in charge of Hermione's case at St. Mungo's won't let me come into the room, even if I am her "husband." Potter stayed back in New York in order to organize everything in the case so we can transfer it back to London. Theo's being moved within a matter of days to a holding cell in our Ministry and Potter should be back by tomorrow morning with all of our things and the correct documents to continue the case from here. The rest of our team will be coming back at the end of the week.

Blaise and Q have still yet to be found.

I'm sitting on a bench in the hallway where Hermione's room is. She's currently going under several tests and the Healers are giving her potion after potion to help her recover from the explosion. I have yet to be updated on what the explosion did to her or if she'll recover.

"Malfoy!" I hear and I look up to see Ginny Potter running towards me. I stand up and, for once, I'm grateful for the presence of a Weasley, because as soon as she hugs me, I feel like I can breathe just a little easier knowing I'm not alone anymore.

"Are you okay?" she asks, pulling out of the hug and looking at me. "What the hell happened? I just got this emergency floo call from Harry, said Hermione was in the hospital and you two got transferred back to London and then hung up."

I take a shaky breath and sit back down, running my hands through my hair. "There was an explosion; Hermione was in the line of fire and got hit by the impact. They won't tell me anything, even though, technically, I'm the next of kin and-"

"Next of kin? What?" Ginny asks, sitting down next to me.

I sigh. "Potter lied to the Healer in New York and said that I was Hermione's husband in order to get her transferred over here and to stay on top of her progress as she heals."

"Okay, that makes sense but her husband? I mean, I know Harry couldn't pass off as her brother, since they're both so well known, but her husband, Draco? Seems a bit… I don't know… _bold_ for you."

I furrow my brows. "Why would it be bold?"

"Well it's not as if you two are together," she starts. "Unless you are?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Potter didn't tell you, then."

"You're together?!" she exclaims and I shush her to keep prying eyes and ears away from our conversation. The main floor is already starting to fill up with reporters as they try to figure out what happened in New York. "When did this happen?" she asks, quieter now.

"A while ago, while working on the case. I think it's been about three months now… maybe four. I'm afraid I haven't been the best at keeping complete track right now as I've been distracted. Hermione would be able to tell you better than me." My voice cracks on Hermione's name and I try to play it off as a hiccup but Ginny knows it's because I'm worried and she takes my hand in hers and squeezes. "She'll be fine; she's resilient, that one."

I chuckle and nod. "I suppose you're right."

Ginny opens her mouth to speak again but she's interrupted by another familiar voice. "Draco!"

I look up and my jaw nearly drops. "Mum?" I say, standing up. Standing at the end of the hall is my mother and coming up behind her is none other than my father. "Dad?!" I say, even more confused.

"Oh thank Merlin!" Mum exclaims, coming up to me and hugging me briefly before pulling back and inspecting me. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," I say, pushing her hands away from my face as she inspects me for injuries. "What are you doing here?"

"We heard there was an attack in New York and that you were in the hospital; we came here as soon as we could. What happened? What are you doing back in London?"

"It's a long story, Mum and I don't really have the energy to go into detail right now."

"Well, then come home. You can explain everything later."

I shake my head. "I'm not going anywhere. Not while Hermione's still here."

"Hermione? You mean Hermione Granger?" Mum asks.

"Yes, Granger! She's only been my partner for the last two years! Who else would it be?!" I yell.

"Okay, you need to sit down or you're going to give yourself a heart attack," Ginny says, intercepting me by standing between myself and my parents.

I shake my head and begin to make an excuse but she cuts me off. "You misunderstand me; that wasn't a suggestion." I glare at her but the glare she returns to me reminds me that her mother killed my aunt in the final battle during the war. It would be unwise to tempt Ginny to do the same to me. So, to my parents surprise, I comply. "Mother, Father, you remember Ginny Potter," I say.

Ginny smiles at my parents and shakes both of their hands and she tells them everything she knows about what happened in New York, looking to me occasionally from time to time to ensure she's getting the details right, as she's summing up a lot of what she's put together from Potter's call, the news, and from what I've told her. When she's done explaining, she sits back down next to me as my parents mull over everything Ginny's just told them.

"Okay," Mum starts, "I understand that you wanted to get Miss Granger back here where she could be properly taken care of but her husband, Draco? That seems like a bit of a stretch. Wouldn't they be able to figure out that you two aren't married? Especially since you're not together."

I roll my eyes and don't say anything; she'll catch on soon enough. When I look at her, I can see the gears in her head shifting as she puts the pieces together.

Three… two… one… "Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me," she says.

I sigh and lean back until my head hits the wall behind me. Sensing an argument starting, Ginny takes the opportunity to clear the area with the excuse that she's going to go get coffee, leaving me with my parents and their quick building wrath of their disapproval of my choice of girlfriend.

"Really, Draco? Of all people you could choose to be with, you pick a _muggleborn_?" my mother says. "Sure, she's a nice girl and a war heroine, but her heritage leaves something to be desired, dear."

I close my eyes and try to tune out the nagging of my mother on how my girlfriend isn't the proper woman for a man of my status and how I should probably think about ending it before it gets too serious and blah, blah, blah!

I'm about ready to snap at my mother again when help comes from the unlikeliest source: my father. "Oh for Heaven's sake, Narcissa, leave the boy alone! Can't you see he's worried sick about the girl? Who cares whether or not she's suitable enough for him. Just let him worry about his girlfriend!"

Both my mother and I look at my father, stunned. What the hell just happened?

"Who are you and what have you done with Lucius Malfoy?" I ask before I can stop myself.

He smirks and shakes his head. "I'm still me, son. I've just learned to pick my battles more wisely."

I'm taken aback and briefly glance at my mother whose equally confused. "Um, thanks dad."

My mother begins to speak but she's interrupted when the Healer walks out of Hermione's room. "Mr. Malfoy, could I speak to you for a moment please?"

I stand up and walk over to the Healer. "How is she?" I ask.

"Your wife is going to be fine, Mr. Malfoy. She'll be unconscious for a couple of days and she'll need rest after she wakes up but she's going to be okay."

I sigh in relief and begin to smile but it fades as he looks at me sadly. "I'm afraid there's something else we need to discuss, Mr. Malfoy." He looks behind me and sees my parents watching us closely. "Could we speak somewhere a little more private, please?" he asks and I nod, suddenly nervous.

He walks us down the hall a ways until we're out of earshot from my parents and there's no one else around to hear what he's about to tell me. He looks at me sadly and sighs before speaking. "I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but I feel that you deserve to know…" He pauses, as if trying to find the right words to say what comes next. "Your wife… the impact from the explosion caused… well, to put it honestly, sir, she had a miscarriage."

* * *

I walk back to Hermione's room numb, barely processing where I'm going or what I'm doing. I don't realize I'm staring at the room to her door until Ginny gets my attention. "Earth to Malfoy!" she says.

I snap out of my haze and look at her sadly. Immediately her expression changes to one of concern. "What's wrong? Is she okay?"

I nod and wander back to the bench against the wall, vaguely aware that my parents are gone. Ginny sits next to me. "Malfoy, what happened? Is Hermione going to be okay?"

I nod. "She's- she's going to be fine. He said she's going to be out for a couple days but she's going to be fine."

"Then why do you look like you've just been told the worst news of your life?"

"Because… in a way, I have." I bury my face in my hands and don't say anything for a moment as I piece together my thoughts. I run my hands through my hair and take a deep breath before speaking. "Hermione was p-pregnant," I choke on the word. "And I didn't know…"

Ginny's silent for a moment before speaking. " _Was_ … did she… did the explosion cause it?" I nod. "How far along was she?"

"The Healer said she was just over ten weeks." I bury my face in my hands and try to hold back the tears. "Why didn't she tell me?"

"I'm sure she had a very good reason for not telling you, Draco," Ginny reassures me. "Hermione never does anything without a reason, you know that. I'm sure that if she didn't tell you, she had a reason not to."

I nod but don't say anything for a few minutes. "I don't know what to do," I finally say, looking to her for guidance.

She sighs. "Do you love her?" she asks.

"Of course," I say, without hesitation. "She's… she's my best friend." Later, I'll regret divulging so much in one sentence but right now, I couldn't care less.

Ginny smiles a bit. "Then I'll tell you what you're going to do: you're going to go in there, and you're going to support your girlfriend. You're going to wait with her until she wakes up, and when she does, you're going to be there for her. This may be hard for you, Draco, but it's going to be harder for her. She's going to wake up and find out that her child- _your_ child- is gone. She's not going to take it easily; she's going to need all the support she can get. You're going to tell her you love her, you're going to tell her that you're going to support her, and you're going to make it through this together."

I shake my head. "She's the strong one, Ginny; not me."

"Well, you're going to have to be the strong one, now. For her."

I nod and look back to Hermione's door and take a deep breath. I stand up and begin to walk towards it but turn back around to Ginny for a split second when something pops into my head. "What happened to my parents?" I ask.

"Went to get coffee," she replies.

I nod. "When they come back…"

"Do you want me to tell them about Hermione for you?" she finishes for me.

I pause for a moment before nodding slowly. "Would you mind? I don't think I'd be able to put it into words again."

She gives me a sad smile. "Of course."

I nod and give her a small smile. "Thanks, Ginny." Then I turn around and walk into Hermione's room.

There's nothing remarkable about the room except for the woman lying asleep in the hospital bed. She looks so peaceful: her hair is splayed out on the pillow beneath her, her breathing is even, and there's a small smile on her face. I hope she's having a good dream. Something happy; she'll need the happiness while it lasts.

I grab a chair and pull it up to her bed and entwine my fingers with hers. I sit there for about five minutes before I forgo the chair and crawl into the hospital bed with her. I adjust myself so that I'm laying next to her but she's not squished in any way. I lightly kiss her temple before falling asleep next to her, as the wait until she wakes begins.

* * *

 **Hermione**

The first thing I hear are voices. They're muffled but I hear them nonetheless. I try to place them but they're too distant for me to put a face to them. As I slowly wake up, my mind begins to play images in my head of children laughing, Draco's smile, rainy London days, fireworks… suddenly all the images of the explosion in New York come rushing back to me.

My eyes fly open and I immediately begin to take in my surroundings. I'm in a hospital room… in London? My eyes fall on a clipboard at the foot of my bed where I notice the writing _Belongs to St. Mungo's_. So I'm in St. Mungo's. That explains the voices: people passing by the room out in the hall. How the hell did I get here? And what happened in New York?

I'm about to move around when I realize that I'm not alone in my bed. I look to my right and my heart swells as I see Draco fast asleep next to me. Forgetting everything for a moment, I turn to face him and lightly brush some hair off his forehead. He's not sleeping peacefully; his brows are furrowed and he's murmuring something that I can't make out. I lightly run my thumb over his lips before moving down his body until I reach his left forearm.

After Voldemort died, the Dark Marks on all the Death Eaters either faded or vanished. Draco got lucky and his vanished while Lucius still has a faint outline on his arm (or so I'm told). I like to think that Draco's completely faded because he was never truly a Death Eater at heart; he was just trying to keep his family safe. As I look at his unmarred arm, I compare it to mine.

The Mudblood scar never fully went away. It began to fade after Bellatrix died but, sadly, the blade that she used made it so the scar would always remain. The word is fairly faint now but it's still there. It will always be there.

"It doesn't mean anything, you know," a voice says and I jump a little. I look up and see Draco watching me. I didn't even know he was awake. "The scar, I mean. It doesn't mean anything. You're so much more than… than _that_." He confided in me once that after the night Bellatrix tortured me, he never said the word Mudblood again. I'm so proud of him for that.

I give him a small smile and nod. "I know. You know I wouldn't let something like that define me."

He smiles a little. "Yeah, I know."

We lie in silence for a little while, just enjoying each other's presence. "Draco," I say. He looks at me expectantly. "What happened?"

He looks at me sadly and explains everything that happened after the explosion: Blaise and Q are still missing, Theo's been moved to a holding cell in the U.K. ministry, many people inside and around the Western Union Building were either injured or killed in the explosion, including many of the prestigious witches and wizards at the meeting (Ivan Rostov sadly didn't make it), he and Harry lied about our being married so they could transfer me here to St. Mungo's, the team just returned here about a day ago, and that the case has temporarily been put on hold while everyone regroups. "The investigation is still ongoing but right now a lot of it's just been cleanup and damage control after the explosion in New York."

I nod and absorb everything silently. "Hermione, there's something else," Draco says and immediately, I notice there's an edge in his voice.

"What is it?" I ask.

He sighs. "I- I know about the baby."

My chest tightens. "Oh, Draco, I'm so sorry. I was going to tell you, I just wanted to wait to see a Healer and have them confirm the test for me. Please understand, I didn't want to hide it from you, I just wanted to be sure and-" he puts his finger over my lips to silence me. His eyes are filling with tears and I know what he tells me next won't be good.

"It's okay; I know you have your reasons for not telling me. But… Hermione… when you were hit by the explosion... the- the baby didn't make it." He chokes on his last words.

I sit up and try to control my breathing. The baby- my baby, _our_ baby- didn't make it. I had a miscarriage. I vaguely hear Draco explain to me that the explosion and the impact from me being thrown combined caused me to lose it. Suddenly, my world has stopped; I feel like I can't breathe. The only thing I can think is _My baby is gone. My sweet, innocent baby is gone; and there's nothing I can do._

I feel like I'm stuck in this hole of Purgatory until I feel arms wrap around me and I hear Draco whisper in my ear "I'm so sorry." And then the floodgates open. I break down into tears and just cling to Draco for dear life. He doesn't say anything; he just holds on as I cry and cry and cry. I don't know how long I'm sobbing for but I know that by the time I'm all out of tears, Draco's moved us so we're laying back down on the bed and he never once let go. He's rubbing soothing circles into my back and placing soft kisses on my forehead.

"I'm so sorry, Draco," I whisper.

He pulls back and looks at me. "Why are you apologizing?"

I sniff. "Because had I told you then maybe I wouldn't have been at the bomb site or I could have been somewhere else at the time while still on the scene or we could have done _something_ different!" I'm nearly hysterical again but Draco's arms tighten around me and he kisses me softly, causing me to start to calm down.

"It's not your fault, Hermione," he says. "We thought we were ready for the attack. There was no way we could have known it was going to happen like that or that it was going to be that strong." He cups my face with his hand. " _Please_ don't blame yourself. It's not your fault, I promise."

Even though I don't want to believe him, I do. I know he's right; I know that there's no way we could have known that the explosion would happen the way it did and we also had no idea that I would be in the line of fire. I sigh and nod. "How are you so calm about all of this?"

He shrugs. "I've had time to process and come to terms with everything."

"And what did you decide?" I ask.

"That I'm heartbroken… but that you and I can work through this, no matter how long it takes."

"What if I'm not strong enough to move on from this right now?" I ask, too emotionally weak to even consider moving on at the moment.

"Then let me strong for both of us," he says. "I know you're used to having to be the strong and collected one because of Potter but for once you don't have to. You're allowed to mourn, Hermione; you don't always have to be the strong one. You just take your time to heal; I'll be here the entire time."

I sniff and start crying again. He pulls me close and whispers that it's going to be okay in my ear. About fifteen minutes later, I've calmed down and perfect timing too since my Healer comes and checks on me. After reassuring both Draco and I that I'm going to be fine and can be released in a couple days, he leaves us alone again.

I look at Draco who's laying back down in bed with me after getting up so the Healer could check my vitals. "So, what now?"

He sighs and brushes a curl behind my ear. "Now, we wait 'til you get released and then you're going to come home with me."

I furrow my brows. "Sorry?"

"Well, actually, we need to cover this ground first: what do you say we move in together?"

I'm stunned. "Draco, are you sure? We've only been together four months."

"And living together that entire time! I don't see why we shouldn't. I have no intention of letting you go, Hermione. I almost lost you once and it made me realize how lost I would be without you. You're my best friend and I… I can't lose you." I reach up and wipe away a lone tear that's running down his cheek. He gives me a sad smile and kisses my palm. "It's you and me now and forever until the sun burns up and the world comes to an end. So we might as well just 'bite the bullet' (as the muggles say) and move in together."

"And what, pray tell, would your parents say when they find out that not only have you returned to London but that you're shacking up with me?"

He shrugs. "They'll deal with it. It's not like they don't already know and-"

"Wait, what?" I say, shocked. "What do you mean that they know?"

Draco brings me up to speed on what happened with his parents right outside my room. He also tells me that he confided in Ginny, who was also here, about everything- including the miscarriage. "It was just such a shock, I had to talk to it about someone. I'm sorry, I should have just kept my mouth shut about it."

I shake my head. "No, that's alright. Ginny's your friend too, you're allowed to confide in her. Besides, I trust her not to tell everyone in her family about it."

"She told Potter," Draco says.

I nod. "That's also okay; I expected as much. And even if she hadn't told him, I would have eventually, so either way, it's fine." He nodded in understanding. He knows how close I am with Harry and Ginny and, even if he won't admit it, he's pretty close with them too so the fact that they know about the miscarriage is not the worst thing in the world. Like I said, I trust them not to tell the rest of the Weasleys.

"There's one more thing I should mention though," Draco starts. "My parents also know about the miscarriage." I furrow my brows as he explains how he asked Ginny to tell them because he was so distraught. "What did your parents say to that?" I ask.

"Well at first, they were kind of mixed between shock, anger, and heartbreak. But after I talked to them a little more, we came to an understanding that what happened was an accident and that, no matter what happened next, we would stay together and work through this because that's what you do when you love someone: you stick together."

I smile. "How'd they respond to that?"

He smirks. "Both of them were a little agitated but I think they've come around by this point. My father, surprisingly, was a little more understanding than my mother."

"Really?" I ask surprised. "I was _sure_ it would be the other way around."

"So was I. But I think that to them, my happiness outweighs their desires for me to marry a girl with the proper pedigree. Give them some time to adjust and get to know you and I think, shortly they'll see that you are far better than any pureblood girl they could have come up with for me."

I chuckle at that and lightly kiss him. "Thank you for that," I say.

He rests his forehead against mine and kisses me. "I love you, Hermione Granger."

* * *

 ** _I'm so sorry..._**


	23. Chapter 22

_**A/N: Happy Valentine's Day! Thank you all so much for your great reviews in regards to the last chapter. I was really worried that I was gonna get yelled at but you all have been super wonderful and I adore you all for that. In thanks for your kind words (and because I'm kind of on a roll with writing this story), I'm giving you an extra chapter today! Fair warning, it's the Christmas chapter (yes, I know Christmas was two months ago but I was not far enough in my writing to post this chapter during that time. Sorry, not sorry).**_

 _ **Also, smut warning at the end of the chapter.**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 22: Hermione**

I'm released from the hospital three days later and Draco takes me back to his place- or _home_ , as I've come to know it. After accepting his offer to move in together, he spent the remainder of the time that I was in the hospital moving my stuff to his place and redecorating a little to accommodate for everything I had. He traded some furniture that he had with mine and whatever he didn't use was either sold (after checking first with me, of course) or taken to a storage unit on the Manor property. According to Draco, when he brought Crookshanks over the first time, he made himself right at home on our bed and has been happy here ever since, which is great considering he has issues adjusting to new places.

While Draco was busy moving, Ginny and Harry came to visit me in the hospital. We talked about the case and about the miscarriage. I didn't cry when I discussed it with them but I did later that night when I was alone. They were so supportive and reassured me that they would be there for me whenever I needed them, no matter what. I don't know where I'd be without them.

The day before I was released, I was visited by Narcissa Malfoy. Believe me, I was just as surprised as you are.

* * *

 _I'm reading a book when Narcissa walks in. I'm so surprised to see her that I drop my book on the floor. When I begin to get out of bed to get it, she stops me. "No, please, let me," she says. Even when she bends over to the pick the book up, she still manages to do it gracefully while I probably would have fallen over my own two feet._

" _Thank you," I say, quietly. I'm very aware of the way that she's watching me- like a hawk watches it's dinner- and I'm starting to become self-conscious and wishing that I had at least bothered to brush my hair rather than just throw it up in a messy bun. At least then, I would be somewhat presentable. I want to fuss with my appearance but instead I just sit and fiddle with the pages of my book. We're silent for another moment before she speaks. "So Draco tells me that you're feeling better," she says._

 _I nod. "I am, yes. They're thinking I can be released tomorrow."_

 _She nods. "That's good." We're silent for another moment as she studies the various potions I'm supposed to take._

" _Mrs. Malfoy," I begin, "not to seem rude, but might I inquire why you're here? I highly doubt it's because you wanted to check on the hospital's potion supply."_

 _She chuckles. "Draco said you didn't miss much. I'm not surprised to see he was right. May I?" She gestures to a nearby chair._

" _Help yourself," I say and she pulls the chair up to the bed before sitting in it._

" _I'd like to discuss something with you," she begins. I stay silent and encourage her to continue. "As I'm sure you know, my husband and I have been known in the past to think that those of muggle birth were equal to the dirt that we walked on." Immediately, I'm on edge, not sure I'm liking the direction this conversation is starting. "During the war, however, we realized that, perhaps, we had been wrong in our thoughts," she continues. "We still believed that keeping the bloodlines pure were important but after witnessing the Dark Lord kill hundreds of innocent people, muggleborn and pureblood, we came to terms that perhaps there was no superior race. That they were no different than us._

" _As I'm sure you can imagine, turning our backs on everything we've ever known was easier said than done. We believed that there wasn't much of a difference between all of us but we still wanted Draco to marry the right girl; a proper girl with the right breeding. Someone who could take on the name Lady of the Manor and endure everything that came with that title and with the name Malfoy._

" _At first we were sure that Astoria Greengrass would be the perfect girl for him. We put them together and thought they hit it off right away. As it turns out, two months later, they broke up and went their separate ways. He asked that we stay out of his romantic life for the time being as he wanted to focus on his career with the Aurors. We honored his request and left it alone._

" _While you were in New York, we were sure that we would have to find another girl for him to attempt to court again as we began to get worried that he wouldn't ever find one without our 'interference,' as he called it. We were about to start calling some contacts when we heard that he had returned to London after the attack in New York. When we saw him and saw how worried he was about you, we realized that he had picked you. He could have any girl he wanted and he picked the one whom he had clashed so much with in the past._

" _I won't lie, Miss Granger, I wasn't pleased at first. When I tried to explain this to my son, he nearly snapped but my husband, surprisingly, interfered and told me to leave it alone for the time being; so I did. When I approached him about it later, he told me that lecturing our son on how appropriate his choice of girlfriend was while she was unconscious and in the hospital was not, perhaps, the best place to have that conversation. I agreed and dropped the topic for the time being._

" _Everything changed when Mrs. Potter told us about your miscarriage. It no longer mattered that you're a muggleborn, it no longer mattered whether or not you were suitable for my son. You were carrying his child; and then that maniac you were chasing made you lose it in a terrible, terrible accident. I am so, so sorry." She sniffs and wipes away a tear that escaped before speaking again. "Lucius and I were devastated. But we also came to terms with something: who cares if Draco marries a pureblood or muggleborn or a halfblood or even a muggle? Isn't the important thing that he's happy? We agreed that night that we'd stop pressuring him to marry the proper girl and just to marry whoever he wants. And who better than the girl who makes him happier than I've ever seen him."_

" _Mrs. Malfoy, I'm flattered that you think that… but Draco and I have only been together for a few months. The idea of marriage.. well, it seems a little early for that, don't you think?" I say._

 _She chuckles and shakes her head. "Perhaps. But it'll be you; I'm sure of it."_

 _I furrow my brows. "What makes you say that?"_

" _Are you kidding? The boy can't tell the difference between left and right, he's been so caught up between the fact that you're awake and the move. I've never seen him so scatterbrained."_

 _I chuckle. "He can be pretty hopeless sometimes."_

 _She smiles and takes my hand in hers. "Miss Granger-"_

" _Please call me Hermione," I interrupt._

 _She squeezes my hand and nods. "Hermione, I didn't come here to explain to you why I feel that you are an improper match for my son; on the contrary, I actually think you two will be very good for each other. But, I came here to give you mine and Lucius' blessing. All we want is for Draco to be happy and I can see that you make him so very happy. It's clear that you two are very much in love and I just want you to know that Lucius and I support you one hundred percent. Whatever you two decide to do, you have our full support. And I hope that as your relationship progresses, we'll be able to get to know each other better."_

 _I smile. "I'd like that very much, Mrs. Malfoy."_

" _Please, there's no need for formalities. Call me Narcissa."_

" _Narcissa, then. Thank you."_

 _She smiles. "Of course, dear."_

 _We sit in silence, smiling at one another, until I look away to wipe some tears away. "Are you going to be alright?" Narcissa asks._

 _I nod and sniff. "Yes. Not right now, but I will be."_

" _Is there anything I can do to help?"_

 _I shake my head and look down. "No; thank you though."_

" _Please let me know if there is anything I can do," Narcissa says. She puts her fingers under my chin and tips my face up so I have to look at her. "I mean it; if there's anything I can do, just tell me."_

 _I nod, just wishing that she'd leave already. I can feel the tears coming and I just want to be alone. She must sense that I'm getting emotional because she gives me a sad look before standing up. But instead of leaving, she sits on the bed and opens her arms. "Come here," she says, softly._

 _I don't have to be told twice. I practically fall into her arms and begin to sob. She tightens her hold on me and rubs my back soothingly as I cry. I wish I had my mum right now; I wish I was back in my room at home and my mum was holding me and telling me that it would be okay. She would know what to do; she always did._

 _As if she was reading my mind, Narcissa tightens her hold on me and tells me that it will be okay; that it's not my fault. And I believe her. Within minutes, this woman has gone from the intimidating mother of my boyfriend to my support system as I cry my eyes out. And I am ridiculously grateful._

* * *

Narcissa and I have become very close since her visit to the hospital; Draco's still slightly freaked out over our fast growing friendship but doesn't mind since she's done wonders in helping me recover from the miscarriage. As for Lucius and I… well, he's certainly been far more civil to me than I expected. And there's been no threats of disinheriting Draco which is a good sign!

I've begun to heal from the miscarriage. I still feel sad for the loss of my baby but everyday is easier to wake up and heal bit by bit. And Draco; gods, I'd be so lost without him. He's been so strong throughout all this. On mornings I'm too miserable to get up, he just brings me a cup of tea and a muffin or toast and gives me a soft kiss; sometimes he'll stay in bed with me, sometimes he'll go into the Ministry and try to help out any way he can with the case, other times he'll just stay home and putter around the house. No matter what, though, he's always been there when I need him. And I've needed him a lot lately.

I know this can't be easy for him; he lost a child and nearly lost me in the same day but it doesn't stop him from getting up every morning and taking care of me. He has truly been my rock throughout all this and I'm eternally grateful.

* * *

Tonight's Christmas Eve and Lucius and Narcissa have invited us over for dinner at the Manor. Shortly after I returned home with Draco, Narcissa invited me over for tea at the Manor. At first I was nervous, considering the last time I had been there, I had been tortured by her insane sister but after a lot of thinking and talking with Ginny, I decided that I would go anyway. It was, miraculously, uneventful and I handled it far better than I had hoped.

It was a mini victory for me, in a way. It was my way of showing Bellatrix Lestrange that I won and she didn't. She was dead and, not only did I survive, but I'm now living with her nephew. Ha!

Anyway, Draco and I were also invited to a Christmas party at Harry and Ginny's tonight. Draco was weary because he wasn't sure I was up for so much activity when I was still recovering but I insisted that we get out for a night. I know both of us could use it. So we'll be going to the party after dinner with his parents.

I look over my appearance once more in the mirror and nod in approval. I'm wearing a sleeveless lace burgundy dress that stops just above my knees with some black heels. The back of the dress dips into a v-cut that stops just below my rib cage and fits every curve of my body perfectly. I've pinned half of my hair back with a small clip and let the rest fall over my shoulders and applied just a touch of makeup.

As I'm approving of my appearance, I see Draco come up from behind me in the mirror and I lean into his touch as he wraps his arms around my waist. "You look beautiful," he says.

I give him a small smile and turn around to face him. "You look fairly dapper, yourself."

He smirks and leans in to kiss me. Despite the gentleness behind the kiss, I'm still left breathless when we break apart. "You sure you want to go through with this tonight? I can still call mum and Ginny and tell them that you're not feeling well and we can just stay home."

I shake my head. "No, I want to go. I'm tired of feeling like an invalid; and besides, we could both use a night out and enjoy ourselves."

He nods. "Okay, but if at any time tonight, you want to come home, just say the word and we'll leave."

I smile and nod. "Thank you."

He pecks me on the lips gently before releasing me and putting on his jacket as I put on some jewelry. Ten minutes later, we're jumping in the floo to head to Malfoy Manor. Narcissa greets us in the travelling room and gives me a tight hug before ushering us into the drawing room where there's a grand Christmas tree sitting in the corner. It's beautiful and sparkles just bright enough that it's not blinding but it's hard to miss it. Draco gives her the bottle of wine we bought her and she smiles and opens it up immediately, handing both Draco and I a glass. Lucius walks in moments later and smiles at the two of us before going over to Narcissa.

"Dinner will be ready shortly," Narcissa says. "We're just waiting on our last guests."

Draco furrows his brows. "Who else are we waiting for?" he asks.

Right on cue, two people walk in who I never expected to see in the Manor. "Auntie 'Mione!" a small child with blue hair yells as he spots me.

"Teddy!" I say, catching my godson in my arms. "What are you doing here, buddy?"

"Teddy's my date for tonight," says a new voice and we look to see Andromeda Tonks standing in the entrance. After the war, Narcissa and Lucius needed a sponsor in part of their deal to keep them from going into Azkaban. Low and behold, Andy was the first to vouch for them. "I know that they're not perfect; but they're some of the only family I have left. You don't turn your back on family," she had said at the time.

She and Narcissa immediately grew close again; after years of being separated, they were just happy to be in each other's lives again. Lucius, however, took some time but after about a year of seeing her all the time, he finally warmed up to his sister-in-law and now they get along just fine.

I grin and walk towards her, Teddy still in my arms, and give her a hug. "It's good to see you," she says.

"You too," I say. "What are you doing here? I figured you'd be at Harry and Ginny's."

She nods. "We'll be going there next; but I couldn't turn down an offer of dinner from my favorite sister," she jokes as she pulls Narcissa into a side hug. For a moment, the Narcissa Malfoy I've always known, prim and proper, is gone and is replaced by the baby sister who has been pulled into one of those hugs far too many times. She scrunches her nose at Andy before looking to Lucius and smirking. "I told you, I was her favorite."

Lucius just rolls his eyes and nods to Andy. Andy rolls her eyes in return and walks over to Draco and pulls him into a bone crushing hug. He groans. "It's good to see you too, Aunt Andy, but I can't breathe!" She laughs and releases him and he smiles at her.

"Auntie 'Mione! Is it true that you and Draco and Uncle Harry went to New York to fight bad guys?" Teddy asks.

I furrow my brows at the little one and look to Andy for help. She shrugs. "Harry," is all she says.

Draco groans and puts his head in his hand. "Of course," he says.

I just shake my head and look back to Teddy. "Yes it is, Teddy."

"Did you get them?" he asks wide eyed.

"Not yet; but when we do, you'll be the first to know!"

"Good!" Teddy exclaims. "When you do, you should kick them!"

I laugh. "Kick them?"

"Yeah! When I don't like people I kick them so you should do the same!" His eyes widen and he puts his hands over his mouth. "Oops."

"You kicked someone?" Andy asks.

"No!" he lies.

"Teddy," I warn and his shoulders slump.

"Who did you kick?" Andy asks.

"Uncle Ron," he says, defeated.

"Oh, well you can kick him anytime," I say. There's a moment of silence before Draco busts out laughing, startling his parents from their own conversation, and he has to sit down on the couch because he's laughing so hard.

Andy shakes her head at her nephew as he calms down and raises an eyebrow at me. I chuckle and look back to Teddy. "I'm just kidding, Teddy; you shouldn't be kicking anyone."

"Except Uncle Ron," Draco interjects.

Andy glares at him and I hide my smirk. " _Especially_ Uncle Ron. You can't go around kicking people when they make you mad, Teddy. It's not nice."

"But he said that my pink hair was for girls!"

Insensitive as always. Merlin, help his own kid. "Well, while that was rude of him to say, you still shouldn't go around kicking him or anyone else, okay?"

Teddy sticks his bottom lip out but nods. "Fine," he sighs, dramatically.

"Mistress," a new voice says. We turn to the entrance and- I'm pleased to see- dressed in a light blue dress is a small house elf. "Dinner is ready," she says.

"Thank you, Lucy," Narcissa says. Lucy bows then walks out of the room. "Shall we go in?"

Everyone nods and I put Teddy down. He wanders over to Narcissa who smiles at him and takes his hand as they walk towards the dining room, with Lucius following close behind. As I watch him walk away, I feel a little sad for him and for myself. He lost his parents and I lost my child. I hope that, wherever Tonks and Lupin are, they're watching after my baby the way that Harry and I watch out for their son.

I don't realize that I'm crying a little until Andy comes over and wipes away a tear. One look at her and I know that she knows. She pulls me into a hug and I take a few deep breaths to calm myself. "Everything will be okay," she says. "You know that right?"

I sniff and nod before pulling away from her. She gives me a sad smile and looks to Draco, who comes up behind me and pulls me in close to him. I immediately lean into his touch and wrap my arms around his waist. Her smile grows as she looks at the two of us relying on each other. "You two would have been great parents. You _will_ be. And the important thing is you're relying on each other through this instead of drifting apart. That, alone, will make your relationship so much stronger in the long run. I know it's hard right now, but I promise that it does get easier."

"Thanks, Aunt Andy," Draco says.

She squeezes his shoulder before walking out of the room to give us a moment alone. Draco wraps me in a tight hug and we just stay in the embrace, neither of us saying anything; just giving each other strength by holding on. He kisses my temple before speaking. "I love you, you know."

I nod and kiss his lips lightly. "I know. And I love you too."

He smiles and I wipe away an escaped tear before we walk off to the dining room hand in hand.

* * *

Dinner remains uneventful. The conversation stays light and Teddy keeps up a lot of the entertainment. I even saw Lucius crack a genuine smile a couple times- I know, I was surprised too. After dinner, we make our way back to the travelling room to head off to the Potters. I thank Narcissa and Lucius for inviting us and Draco hugs his parents before we jump into the floo and to our next stop, Teddy and Andromeda right behind us.

The party is in full swing when we arrive and _everyone_ is there. Luna, Neville and his wife Hannah, Seamus, and a bunch of other classmates and coworkers. Even McGonagall is here! I scan the crowd looking for one particular redhead (our hostess, to be exact) but she practically tackles me before I can even properly see her. "Gin, I can't breathe!" I say.

She laughs and pulls back. "Oops, sorry." She hugs Draco then drags me off to another part of the room and hands me a glass of Firewhiskey while Draco gets pulled into a conversation with Harry and Seamus.

"How are you feeling?" she asks.

I nod. "I'm okay. Seeing Teddy was a little hard but that's to be expected. For the most part, though, I'm pretty good."

She smiles. "I'm glad to hear it. How's Draco handling it?"

"He's… God, Gin, he's been amazing. He's been so supportive and understanding and he doesn't push me, you know. He knows I have to heal in my own time and he's not rushing it or anything. I know he's upset over it too but he's so much stronger than I am right now. I don't think I'd be able to handle this if I didn't have him."

Her smile grows and she squeezes my hand. "Gods, you two are so perfect for each other, it's almost disgusting if it wasn't so damn cute."

I laugh- _really_ laugh and I realize that it was a really good idea to come out tonight. I needed this; I needed to see my best friend out of the setting of a hospital room or my bedroom and I needed a night just to blow off some steam. So, with that in mind, I throw my drink back and allow Ginny to refill it before we wander off to our boys.

We find them where we left them, this time without Seamus, and join them only to find them talking about the case. "Harry, I already told you, you are not to discuss work tonight," Ginny says. "You either, Malfoy. It's Christmas! I don't want to hear anything about work for the next forty-eight hours, am I clear?"

Harry dramatically bows and kisses her hand. "Of course, my love."

Draco, instead, chuckles and nods. "Yes, ma'am."

She smacks him lightly on the arm. "Call me ma'am again, Malfoy, and I'll turn you back into a ferret."

He laughs and wraps his arms around me, defeated and kisses my forehead. We stand and talk about our plans for the rest of the holiday and accept Harry and Ginny's offer of spending New Year's with them off the coast of Greece in a small villa they rented.

"There's one catch with New Year's," Ginny says.

"Uh oh," Draco says. "That doesn't sound good."

She rolls her eyes. "Ron and Jacque are coming as well."

Draco and I look to each other before looking back to them. "Okay, whatever," Draco says. It doesn't matter to either of us that Ron and his wife are coming, but I appreciate Ginny checking with us anyway.

"Is Luna not coming?" I ask and Harry shakes his head.

"No, she's leaving for Brazil with her father to go creature searching tomorrow and won't be back until early February."

"Ah, searching for wrackspurts?" I say.

"How did you know?" I hear Luna say, as she approaches us. I smile and give her a tight hug, which she returns wholeheartedly.

"Just a lucky guess," I say, pulling out of the hug. Luna studies me for a moment and squeezes my hands before nodding to Draco. When she and I make eye contact again, I can tell that she's putting together that something is wrong. She's quirky as hell, Luna, but she's also remarkably perceptive. She'll have figured out about the miscarriage by the end of the night, I guarantee it. In the meantime, I just give her a warm smile, which she returns.

"Something wicked this way comes," Draco mutters looking behind me and I turn around to see what he's looking at only to make eye contact with Ron. Great.

He and his wife are walking towards us and I can't help but instinctively step closer to Draco, who wraps an arm around my waist. Jacqueline Pascal is everything that I'm not: pureblood, blonde, honey-colored eyes, soft features, and emits elegance. She's the kind of woman who, the second she walks in, _knows_ that she has control over everything and everyone in the room. But the worst part is: she's _nice_! I can't even dislike her because she's so sweet.

Everytime I see her and Ron together, I realize what kind of woman that Ron is truly into; and that we were never meant to be together. Jacque is the kind of woman who will dote on Ron and love him no matter what but still manage to keep some of her independence, whereas if he and I had stayed together, we would have torn each other apart. Ron and I are far too different from one another: we wouldn't have been able to have a successful relationship- let alone, _marriage_ \- without both of us giving up part of who we are; I would have had to give up my dreams of being my own person and work for a living rather than be a housewife, and Ron… well, Ron would have had to sacrifice his own personality just so we wouldn't fight all the time.

As I watch them approach, I give them both a warm smile, satisfied in knowing that, despite how things ended, we made the right choice in the end. He's happy with Jacque, and I'm happy with Draco. Simple as that.

It's a bit awkward as we greet one another, I admit, but like it or not, we're going to have to get used to it since, once I return to work, we're going to be working together. When both of them realize that Draco and I are together, they have very different reactions, as expected. Ron narrows his eyes but doesn't say anything, thankfully, while Jacque immediately begins asking us questions about our relationship.

"How long have you two been together?" she asks. (Side note: According to Ginny, although Jacque's origins are French, her nanny was from Vancouver so her English is perfect; big surprise there.)

"Just over four months," I answer.

She smiles. "I would have guessed longer; you two act like you've been together for years!"

I furrow my brows. "You mean we bicker all the time like an old married couple?" I say and Draco nearly chokes on his Firewhiskey from trying not to laugh. I pat him on the back and smirk.

Jacqueline laughs and shakes her head. "No; I mean you two are so in sync with one another. Just the way that you two look at each other, it's like a million things are passing between you two in a matter of seconds. You're so attuned to each other too, if he moves, you move to stay close to him and vice versa. It's almost hypnotizing to watch you two interact."

This time, _Ron_ nearly chokes on his drink and Luna pats him on the back, while sharing a look with Ginny that I don't understand but shrug it off. Draco smirks at Jacque at her remarks. "It's hard not to be in sync with her after being partners for almost three years. We've learned how to read each other's body language during cases which would help us determine if one of us was in danger or saw something while out in the field. Same rule applies to our relationship; I understand her body language well enough to know when she's mad versus sad versus happy. It's come quite in handy, considering it's saved my arse more than once if we're ever fighting." Everyone chuckles and I shake my head and roll my eyes. He kisses my temple and I close my eyes briefly as I revel in the feel of him next to me, still protecting me.

We stay at the party for another hour and a half before I begin to feel a little worn down. I've just wandered away from a pleasant conversation with McGonagall when I decide that I need a breath of fresh air. I wander outside and lean against the porch railing, enjoying the feel of the cool air against my skin.

I feel someone walk up next to me and when I look over to them, expecting Harry or Draco, I'm surprised to find Ron standing next to me. "Hey," he says.

"Hey," I reply. We stand there in silence for a few minutes before he speaks again.

"So… you and Malfoy," he begins.

Immediately, I tense up. "Please don't begin to lecture me on how I'm 'fraternizing with the enemy' or whatever. Whatever your opinion on my relationship with Draco is, I'd prefer it if you kept it to yourself."

He smirks. "That's fair; however, I just want to make sure that he's good to you."

I look at him and raise an eyebrow. "Why would you care whether or not he's good to me? You obviously don't care for him-"

"True, I don't care for him. But you were my best friend, Hermione, and I still care about you, even if we haven't spoken in years. I just want to make sure that he treats you right; that you're happy."

I think about the way Draco touches me when we make love, the way his lips fit perfectly with mine, the way he watches me when he thinks I'm not looking, the way he understands me better than anyone, the way he's taken care of me throughout the aftermath of the miscarriage. "Yeah, I'm happy," I smile. "He's… he's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Ron smiles. "Good; I'm glad. You deserve to be happy."

"So do you," I say. "You and Jacque seem to be very happy together."

He nods. "We are. She's- well, let's just say that she is far more than I deserve."

"You deserve to be happy, Ron," I say. "Both of you do. As long as you're both happy, that's the important thing."

He smiles and we're silent again for another moment. "How's your son?" I ask, breaking the silence. "Ben, right?"

He nods. "Yeah; he's good. Really good. He's started to talk a couple days ago and hasn't stopped since."

I chuckle and think about Ron's baby being a nonstop chatterbox but it quickly turns into the fact that I'll never hear my baby talk or see them walk or watch them grow. I won't know who they look more like: me or Draco, I won't be able to hold them in my arms or feel them move inside me... I don't realize I'm crying until Ron snaps me out of my thoughts. "Hey, are you okay?" he asks.

I shake my head and wipe away the tears. "Yeah, I'm fine," I lie. "I- I have to go. Happy Christmas, Ron."

"Happy Christmas, Hermione," he says but I'm already back into the house, looking for Draco. I find him sitting on a couch chatting with Luna; the second he sees me, however, he shoots up and pulls me into his arms. "Are you okay?" he asks.

I shake my head. "I want to go home," I say quietly, feeling like a small child, but he nods, understandingly.

"Okay, stay here and I'll grab our things." He sits me down on the couch next to Luna and wanders off to, I assume, let Harry and Ginny know that we're leaving. Luna takes my hands in one of her hands and wipes away my tears with the other. "After my mum passed away, my dad used to tell me that every time a shooting star went across the sky, it was her saying hello. I know you're too logical to believe that, but, the point is that the ones that you love but have lost are always with you. Believe me when I say, that your baby is with you; maybe not physically, but in here," she points to my heart. "They'll always be with you, Hermione."

I sniff and squeeze her hand. "How did you know?" I ask.

She gives me a sad smile. "Physically, you've changed," she says referring to my breast growth and the slight weight gain around my hips, "but it's also in your eyes. When you or Draco are alone, you have this deep sadness that's there. But when you're together, it changes to strength; when you two are alone, you both seem so sad but when you're together, you can see the way that you've healed so far because you have each other. That's a rare trait to find in a life partner; it's how I know that you two will be okay. Maybe not right now, but someday."

I give her a weak smile. "Thanks Luna."

Just then, Draco returns to us and helps me put my coat on before putting his own on. Luna stands up and I pull her into a tight hug. "Have faith, Hermione. And, please believe me when I say that you _will_ be okay."

I sniff and nod. "Thank you, Luna." She smiles and hugs Draco goodbye. He then puts his arm around me and walks us to the floo, taking us home.

* * *

When we arrive back home, I immediately go to our room and sit on the bench at the foot of the bed, decompressing from the array of emotions I've been feeling all night. The tears have stopped for now, and now, I just feel emotionally drained. I start to take off my shoes and undress when Draco walks in and heads straight to the bathroom, barely looking at me. Usually, I'd be concerned but, I'm so tired right now, it doesn't even cross my mind why he wouldn't look at me.

I vaguely hear the sound of the shower turning on and standing up, and throwing my shoes in the general direction of the closet, I walk over to my dressing table and begin to take my hair down. I'm running my fingers through my hair when I hear the water turn off and Draco comes out, dressed in only a bathrobe, and holds his hand out for me. I look to him confused. "What's the robe for?"

He gives me a small smile. "We're going to take a bath."

I sigh. "Draco, I'm sorry, I don't think I'm in the mood for-"

"Not that kind of bath," he says. "A _bath_ bath. I think tonight was a little too much stimulation for you and you deserve a night to just relax."

I give him a small smile and wrap my arms around his waist, snuggling into him as he wraps his arms around me and pulls me closer to him. "You're so good to me," I say.

"Hmm," is all he says. I feel soft lips touch the top my head before he pulls out of the hug and leads me into the bathroom. With a wave of his wand, some soft music starts playing from the radio on the counter and he begins to help me out of my dress and undergarments before getting in the tub while I put my hair up in a messy bun to keep it out of my face. I turn to look at Draco and I see that he's watching me, contemplatively. I give him a small smile before joining him in the tub. I rest my back against his chest and he snakes his arms around my waist. We sit in silence for a while, just listening to the music and enjoying being in each other's embrace.

I could get used to this; hell, I already have. We haven't really discussed the future of our relationship since we've been so preoccupied with the case but I know that in the end, it'll be him. It was always him. He always understood me in ways no one else did; the yin to my yang, if you will.

I feel like all I've talked about is how good he's been to me since the miscarriage but with every day that he helps me heal, I realize more and more just how much I love him and how lost I'd be without him. I realize how much I need him in my life, now and forever.

I sigh and try to get closer to him- despite already being skin to skin- and for the first time since the New York attack and the miscarriage, I feel better. Because I know, no matter what, I'll always have Draco.

"What are you thinking about?" Draco asks.

"You," I answer, truthfully.

"Oh, really?" he chuckles. "What about me?"

I chuckle in return and entwine his fingers with mine. "Just… I'm not sure I ever told you thank you for everything that you've done. You've been so good to me and so strong for both of us, I just… you have made this so much easier and I… thank you, Draco."

He's silent for a moment before he begins speaking. "When the Healer told me that you'd had a miscarriage… I felt so many things at once. But the one that stuck out to me was the random emotion of elation. For a whole second, I was so excited at the prospect of you being pregnant. Of you carrying my child and our starting a family.

"And then everything else came crashing back down and I became numb, just so I could hold back the urge to scream or cry or punch something or all three. I realized something in that moment, though: you're my whole world, Hermione. You mean so much to me, and yes, losing our child hurt like hell, but had I lost you as well, I don't think I would have been able to go on. You have been the only thing that's kept me going these past few weeks and I'd be nothing without you.

"I just… please understand that I love you so much. And I'm so sorry that I can't take your pain away; I'm so sorry that our baby is gone and I-" he chokes and it's only now that I realize that he's crying. I want to turn and hug him but the damn bathtub isn't big enough for me to comfort him so I get out and pull him out of the bathtub and into a hug. We stand there for I don't know how long, Draco crying, me rubbing his back soothingly, our naked bodies still dripping from the tub. Finally, Draco calms down enough that I dry both of us off, drain the bathtub and grab an extra blanket to wrap around us as I get him into bed, both of us still naked.

"It's not your fault, you know," I say, once we're curled up together in bed. "Some things are out of our control."

He shakes his head. "This is something we should have been able to control."

I sigh and nod in agreement. "I know. And you know that I hate not having control over a situation but I think these things happen for a reason. What that reason is, I don't know but what I do know is that you will be okay. _I_ will be okay. And I know that I love you."

He gives me a small smile and kisses me lightly. I return the kiss with equal gentleness but quickly, the passion between us picks up. He cups my arse with his hands and I can feel his erection against my legs. I know earlier, I said that I wasn't in the mood but right now, all I can think about is how badly I want him; how badly I need him.

I hitch my leg up around his waist and pull him closer to me and he responds perfectly. He rolls us over until he's right on top of me and his kisses become more passionate while one of his hands trails down my body to my clit and he begins to rub. I moan into his mouth before our tongues meet. As he fingers me, I reach for his cock and begin to stroke him, slowly, wanting to build up the pressure.

He moans at my touch and falters in his work with my clit but picks back up when I grind against his fingers. We continue to pleasure each other with our hands and fingers until neither of us can take the pressure anymore. Our eyes lock and for a moment we don't do anything; we just lay there looking into each other's eyes. I see so much in his eyes, so many emotions: sadness, love, lust… everything that he's feeling is exposed as he matches my stare with his.

I run my hands up his bare chest, past his shoulders, and run my fingers through his hair. One hand cups his face and he closes his eyes and leans into my touch; he takes my hand in his and kisses my palm, then my wrist and continues to kiss down my arm and my shoulder and moves up my neck until he reaches my lips. He hovers over my lips briefly before crashing them against mine.

The kiss is passionate and rough; there's no tenderness tonight. I can tell by the way that his hands are running up and down my body, he's going to fuck me hard; and I don't mind in the slightest. He breaks the kiss briefly to cast a contraceptive charm on me (we agreed that we weren't ready for another surprise kid right now) before kissing me again. I moan into his mouth and he positions himself before entering me in one thrust. I break the kiss to moan loudly and he makes a trail of kisses down my throat.

It doesn't take long for us to find a steady pace. With every thrust, we're moaning louder and louder and our breathing is getting labored. My fingernails drag down his back, our kisses are becoming frantic, and we do everything we can to ensure that every single part of our bodies are touching.

After what feels like only moments later, I'm screaming out his name in my climax; four thrusts later, he's right behind me. As we come down from our orgasms, he lowers himself on top of me then falls off to the side so as not to drop his entire weight on top of me. I turn to face him and hitch my leg over his waist. He smiles and drops a soft kiss on my forehead.

I smile at him and we lay in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying the feel of each other. Suddenly, he furrows his brows.

"What?" I ask.

"Did we seriously agree to spending an entire weekend with Weasley in Greece? What the fuck were we thinking?"

I can't help it. I break out into a fit of giggles and soon, Draco joins me, laughing just as hard as I am. When we finally calm down, we look to each other and realize something: I feel better. One look at him, and I know he feels it too.

It's getting better.

* * *

 ** _Hermione's dress and the Malfoy Christmas tree is on the TCC Pinterest board._**

 ** _Please review!_**


	24. Chapter 23

**_A_** ** _/N: Christmas chapter part 2! And yes, I am posting these back to back simply because it just makes sense to do so. Thank you guys for your wonderful reviews, I've been getting some of the best reviews from you all lately, and they make me super happy because you guys are enjoying the story so much. Thank you for your support, you're the best!_**

 ** _Oh, also, another smut alert at the beginning of the chapter!_**

 ** _Tallyho!_**

* * *

 **Chapter 23: Hermione**

I wake up the next morning, sated and better than I've felt all month. Draco's still fast asleep next to me so, quietly, I get out of bed and put on some clothes before going downstairs. I put some food in Crookshanks' bowl and make a cup of tea for both Draco and myself then climb back upstairs to our room.

I have to stifle a giggle at the sight before me: Draco's completely taken over the entire bed. He looks like a starfish, if I'm being honest. His legs are spread out at the foot of the bed, both feet exposed as the sheets have come untucked, one arm is hanging off the bed while the other is underneath the pillow that's covering his head. I shake my head and put his tea on his bedside table and place mine on my own table before deciding to wake him.

But, because I'm in a good mood, I decide that I'm going to have some fun. Instead of lightly waking him up like a good girlfriend, I straddle his hips then slowly lower myself on top of him until all my body weight is on him. I'm not very heavy by any means but I know that he can still feel my weight when he starts to groan by the extra body that's now on top of him.

"Urgh," he grumbles and I giggle.

"Good morning," I say.

"Urgh, no."

I place a soft kiss right below his ear and his groan sounds more like a growl this time and I know I'm getting to him. "Happy Christmas, my love," I say.

He peeks out from underneath the pillow and a small smile grows on his lips as I kiss the corner of his mouth. Before I know it, he swings his arm around me and pulls me off of him only to cover his body with mine and puts his whole weight on me. "Draco!" I laugh. "Get off; you're crushing me!"

He chuckles and lifts himself using his arms to take some of his weight off me. He lowers his head and captures me in one of those kisses that always leaves me breathless. When we break, he looks back at me and smiles. "I missed your laugh."

I give him a small smile. "I missed laughing."

"You seem to be feeling better," he notices and I nod.

"I am. I'm not exactly sure what happened but this morning I woke up and I just felt better."

He nodded. "I know what you mean. I feel the same way."

I smile and pull him into another kiss. Quickly the kiss becomes heated and I briefly hear Draco mutter something about stupid clothing before pulling my shirt and shorts off and tossing them off to Merlin knows where. I moan as he begins to kiss all over my body and his hands explore every inch of me. His touch is gentle, which is good because I feel that I'm about to melt under his touch; his kisses, however, are just what the doctor ordered. He's precise in his kissing, not staying in one place too long but long enough that I still feel his lips on that spot even though he's moved on. When he moves between my legs and to my clit, another moan escapes my lips. I can hear him chuckle before he begins to nip and lick at my clit. I grip the sheets and bite my lip to keep from moaning loudly.

He continues to nip and lick and graze his teeth along me for a while longer before he makes his way back up my body, slowly and meticulously. When he finally makes it back up to my mouth, I can't control myself and pull him into a kiss. As we kiss, he enters me quickly and I moan into his mouth. He takes the opportunity to break the kiss for air but it doesn't last long as he begins to kiss down my neck and to my breasts.

We quickly find a steady pace and begin to move together. One of my hands is dragging my nails down his back while the other is tangled in his hair as I pull him back into another kiss. I bite his lower lip and smirk when I hear a low growl in the back of his throat. He thrusts a bit particularly hard and I release his lip as I gasp. He smirks and does it again, going harder and faster with each thrust. At this rate, I know I'm not going to last much longer and, by the look on his face, I know he's not either. I try to hang on, but it's no use as we come together a few minutes later, calling out each other's names.

We're sweating, out of breath, and more than sated; Draco rolls off me and props himself up on one arm and lazily smiles at me. I smirk back at him and lightly kiss his lips. We lay there for another hour, not speaking, just enjoying each other's company.

When Crookshanks comes upstairs, meowing _loudly_ for Merlin knows whatever reason- he probably just wants more food- we finally get out of bed. I jump into the shower only to have Draco join me a few minutes later which leads to another shag fest before we finally start to get dressed. When we go downstairs, Draco begins to make a late breakfast for us as I sift through the mail that's just arrived. I furrow my brows when I see a letter from Ginny.

 _Hermione,_

 _Just wanted to let you know that Mum has invited you and Malfoy to Christmas dinner tonight. You don't have to come if you don't feel like it; I've explained to Mum that you've been sick so she'll understand if you don't come. I just wanted to pass the message along and secretly beg you to come tonight. I know I just saw you last night but I miss you and I don't think I'll be able to handle an entire dinner conversation talking solely about the various workings of the Ministry and Mum's attempts to get Harry and I to have a baby (Hello? Does my Quidditch career not ring a bell to her?). Anyway, like I said, you don't have to come, but if you love me,_ _ **PLEASE COME**_ _. I'll love you forever if you do._

 _Anyway, Happy Christmas to you and Malfoy and, if we don't see you tonight (please, please,_ _ **please**_ _come) we'll see you on Wednesday. Harry will send you the final details in regards to the Portkey and expected weather in Greece no later than Monday._

 _Hope you're feeling better._

 _Much love,_

 _Harry and Ginny (but mostly me- Ginny)._

 _P.S. Mum's gone a bit batty and insists that we all dress up for dinner tonight. Nothing too formal but she made me promise that I wouldn't arrive in sweatpants, slippers, and a jumper so I figured I'd send you the same warning. XOXO_

I chuckle and shake my head. "We've been invited to the Weasleys tonight for dinner," I announce. I have to stifle a laugh as Draco nearly drops the omelet that he's making on the floor.

"Is that so?" he asks, amusement obvious in his voice. "And what would the Weasley matriarch think when she sees that her almost-daughter-in-law is now dating the son of their most hated enemy?"

I frown at him and he shrugs. "I'm sorry, love, but it's true and you know it. How do you expect Molly Weasley to react when the girl that was supposed to be her daughter-in-law shows up at the Weasley household with Lucius Malfoy's son as her boyfriend?" he says, placing a plate in front of me before sitting next to me with a plate of his own.

I shake my head. "Molly and I talked after Ron and I broke up, Draco," I say, taking a bite of my breakfast. "She was upset but, in the end, she understood that what happened between Ron and I was a misunderstanding blown into unreasonable proportions. When he ran off with Jacque, Ginny told me that she gave up any hope of he and I getting back together. He's married and has a child; she knows I'm going to date and eventually get married someday and she knows it's not going to be to Ron."

"Okay, but that still doesn't change the fact that they won't be happy about you and I being together."

I furrow my brows. "Draco, are- are you _nervous_ about going to dinner with the Weasleys?"

He scoffs. "Please, I've lived with Voldemort in my fucking _house_ ; I think I can handle a night full of Weasleys. No," he rests his hand over mine, "I'm not worried about sitting through dinner with them. I'm more worried that they'll attack you. I know that they mean a lot to you, love, but I also know that they can be very headstrong and I don't want them yelling at you for being with me."

My eyes soften and I turn my hand around so our hands our clasped together. "I appreciate your concern, Draco, really. But they all trust my judgement and they'll just have to deal with my choice of boyfriend whether they like it or not. And besides, you're friends with Harry and Ginny which will automatically build some rapport for you with everyone else." I squeeze his hand. "Anyone who has an issue with us being together will have to keep their mouths shut unless they want to feel my wrath."

"Ah, yes, the wrath of Hermione Granger. That's a feeling I hope to never experience a repeat of," he smirks.

I giggle. "Just behave and you'll be fine."

"Yes, ma'am," he jokes and I roll my eyes. "So, should I go ahead and tell Ginny that we'll be there?"

He nods. "Oh, what the hell. Who knows, maybe it'll be fun."

I raise an eyebrow, knowing far too well that 'fun' for Draco equals egging Ron on. "Draco, you leave Ron alone. We want the Weasleys to like you and if you egg him on, that won't end well."

He mock salutes me and I try not to laugh. "Yes, dear," he says and this time I can't hold back the laughter that escapes my lips. I shake my head and place a light kiss on his fingers before returning my attention to my breakfast.

The conversation remains light throughout the rest of the meal and when we're finished, I bring up a topic that's been on my mind since I woke up. "So, present time?"

He chuckles and crosses his arms as he leans against the counter. "I never pegged you to be so greedy, Granger."

I scoff. " _Please_. I'm more excited to see your reaction to what I got you more than anything."

He smirks and walks over to me before placing a soft kiss on my lips. "Well, considering I'm excited to see your reaction, I say yes, present time."

"Good," I say, smiling and walking into the living room, knowing Draco is following close behind. Due to the lack of time we had while in New York since we were working on the case, and the stress of the miscarriage, we agreed that we would only do a small gift exchange with one another this year (two gifts max, each). As we sit on the couch, I make Draco open his gifts up first.

He opens up the smaller one first and pulls out a _very_ heavy book: a limited edition of _The Complete Works of William Shakespeare_. I found it in a bookstore in New York and bought it, immediately knowing that it was perfect for Draco. He smiles and thanks me for it (I know he's totally going to break into that later tonight) and moves onto the bigger present. The small smirk on his face transforms into one of awe as he pulls out his old Slytherin Quidditch jersey from our Hogwarts days. "Wha- how-" he stutters.

"I called in a favor with McGonagall," I say, smiling. "Do you like it?"

The smile the grows on his face tells me everything that I need to know. "I love it; how you got McGonagall to release this, I don't know but this is amazing. I love it. And you."

"Well that's good because I love you too," I smirk and give him a soft kiss. "I'm not giving away my secret manipulation tactic though."

The smirk he gives me tells me that I won't be able to keep that secret long. In the meantime, however, he nods at me telling me that it's my turn to open my gifts. The first one that I open nearly makes me fall off the couch. It's a simple gold necklace with diamonds dotting the chain of varying sizes until it reaches the large diamond in the center. Simple, but elegant all the same; and it's perfect. It has to be one of the most beautiful jewelry pieces I've ever seen. "Draco, this- this is gorgeous."

"Only the best for my girl," he says, smiling. I turn my body a little bit and he helps me put the necklace on. I lightly touch it, afraid that it will break at the simplest of touches. "Thank you," I say.

"Don't thank me yet;" he says, "there's still one more."

I open the much smaller present this time, expecting matching earrings or something of the sort only to stop short at the sight of a beautiful diamond ring. Like the necklace, it's simple but elegant and beautiful all the same: the band is white gold and twisted to look like a vine that leads up to a gorgeous diamond in the center. I lied about the necklace; _this_ is the most beautiful jewelry piece I've ever seen.

It takes me a minute to realize what this could mean; and when I look up only to find Draco down on one knee in front of me, I know that my suspicions are right: it's an engagement ring.

"I wanted to wait until we had been together a while longer but after I nearly lost you, I knew I couldn't wait any longer," he says. "I love you so much, Hermione; you're the only woman who's ever understood me and complimented me the way that you do. You're stubborn and beautiful and brave and brilliant and infuriatingly reckless but I wouldn't have you any other way. You're my best friend, Hermione; I know this past month has been rough for both of us but I believe it when everyone tells me that it's going to be okay. And it's only because I have you; because I know that you and I can do anything we want to. I know it's soon; I know it's only been a few months and it's probably shit timing considering everything we just went through but I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So, I guess there's only one thing left to ask after all that," I can see his hands are shaking as he takes the ring out of the box and holds it out to me. "Will you marry me?"

I don't realize I'm crying until I croak out a strained yes and he smiles, tears forming in his own eyes. He slips the ring onto my left hand- a perfect fit- and I tackle him to the floor, peppering kisses all over his face, saying "yes" over and over again as we laugh and cry and kiss and kiss and cry and laugh.

* * *

Despite getting engaged earlier in the day, Draco and I managed to keep ourselves from tearing each other's clothes off for the rest of the day (with the exception of the shag on the couch right after he proposed). Draco ran out to grab a bottle of wine and Ogden's Finest for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley while I cleaned up the house.

Draco got back a couple hours later and we broke into his Shakespeare book for a couple hours before I went upstairs to change clothes. Since Ginny said we didn't have to be too formal for tonight, I chose to wear something nice but still comfortable: a long-sleeved shirt, jeans, flats and a scarf. I have a cardigan that I'm going to wear in lieu of a jacket since we're going to floo to the Weasleys and decide to leave my hair down; formal enough so Molly won't throw a fit but comfortable enough that I won't be miserable, like I would be if I had to wear another dress. I'm wearing the necklace Draco gave me and, of course, my engagement ring.

I'm lost in thought, smiling at my ring, when I feel lips on my temple that jolt me out of my thoughts. Draco smiles at me and squeezes my shoulders. "Admiring my handiwork?"

I smirk. "I am, actually. I was trying to figure out how the Malfoys, who are known for their extravagance, had something so beautiful among their array of antique heirlooms."

He smirks and shakes his head. "That's because it's not an heirloom."

My jaw drops. "It's not?"

He shakes his head. "No; I looked through the heirlooms but wasn't impressed with anything that I saw. They were either too gaudy or just simply not you. When I didn't find what I was looking for, I went out and looked for something that would fit you better. When I saw that one, I knew that it was perfect."

I smile. "So you're saying that not only am I going to be the first Muggle-born Malfoy wife but also the first in a long time to have my own ring. Well, don't I feel special."

He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me close to him. "You should. If not for the title and the ring, then just because you're special to me."

I smirk and wrap my arms around his neck. "Oh really? Just how special am I to you?"

He smirks and his hands travel down to my arse and it takes everything I have not to squeak when he grabs my bum and pulls me even closer to him. "Well, Miss Granger, shall I list off all the ways that you're special to me?" he says, his lips dangerously close to my own.

I take a shaky breath and slightly smirk when I see a vein in his neck strain at our proximity. "I would love to hear that list, Mr. Malfoy," I say, pulling him into a kiss. He moves one hand to wrap around my waist while the other continues to cup and squeeze my arse. Sadly, before our snogging and groping can develop into another shag fest, I hear my phone ring. Draco groans and rests his forehead against mine.

"We'll pick this up later," I say, pecking him quickly before answering my phone. "Hey Gin."

"Hey! Please tell me that you're going to be here soon!"

"Um, yeah, we were going to head out in about fifteen minutes, why?" I say, very obviously checking out a now shirtless Draco as he shuffles through his closet.

"Fleur and Jacqueline are getting into it with Mum," Ginny says.

"Over what?" I ask, now studying the two shirts Draco's pulled out and silently asking my opinion on: a black long-sleeved shirt or a blue button down. I pick the black long sleeved shirt and he nods in confirmation before pulling the one I picked over his head and putting the button down away.

"Over Ron and Jacque's marriage status. Since there's been so much unrest in France, lately, any marriage licenses signed in the last ten years are not valid here in England and Jacque's been told by the Ministry that if they don't get married again here in the U.K., she'll be deported back to France. Since they already did the white wedding in France (even though they eloped) they just went to the Ministry and renewed their vows there in a quick ceremony and now they're legally married here in England too."

"So then why is your mum throwing a fit? And why is Fleur involved in this?" I've put Ginny on speaker at this point so Draco can hear the conversation too.

"Mum's livid because she missed Ron's wedding _again_ and is bugged because she wanted to throw a big wedding for them the way she did with Bill and Fleur but Jacque apparently hadn't wanted a bunch of fuss over it all so that's why she and Ron went to the Ministry. Fleur got involved when Mum made a crack about all 'French women being the same.'"

"Oh, shit," I say and even Draco's eyes widen at that.

"Oh, yeah. Bill, Dad, and Ron are in the kitchen trying to calm them all down but it doesn't sound like it's going too well."

"Are you sure we should still come over?" Draco asks. "It sounds like we would just be getting involved in something that's strictly familial."

" _NO!"_ Ginny says. "You _have_ to come over! PLEASE! I know as soon as Mum sees you, she'll drop the argument for the time being and put on her happy facade. Please; I'm begging you. This fight is getting ugly and if there isn't a break soon, someone is going to get seriously injured. _Please_!"

Draco and I share a skeptical glance but he sighs and nods anyway. "Alright, we'll be right there."

"THANK YOU!" There's a loud crashing in the background and both Draco and I flinch. "Gotta go," Ginny says before hanging up the phone.

Draco sighs and runs his hands through his hair. "Well this will be fun."

I chuckle and put on my shoes before taking his outstretched hand and walk to the floo.

When we get to the Weasleys, we find everyone in the living room; we can't hear the yelling but I assume that's because there's a silencing spell on the kitchen. When everyone sees us, they all look relieved to see us but no one more than Ginny. "Oh, thank Merlin!" She pulls me into a tight hug then Draco. "You came just in time. I think they're about to start throwing hexes at each other."

While Ginny wanders off to the kitchen, we greet everyone else: George and his wife Angelina, Charlie, Percy and his wife Audrey, and Harry. Thankfully, no one seems surprised to see Draco with me and they all make a point to be pleasant with him, which is a relief. Harry smiles at me and takes the gifts from my hands and places them on a side table before pulling me onto the couch next to him. "How are you feeling?" he asks.

"Better," I smile. "A lot better, actually."

He smiles but must see the something in my expression that makes him suspicious because he smirks. "What happened?"

"What do you mean 'what happened?'" I ask.

"You have that dreamy smile on your face," he says. "You only get that look when something good happens. Fess up: what is it?'

I glance back at Draco, who's wrapped up in a conversation with Charlie, before looking back to Harry. "Promise not to say anything?" I say.

He nods and I show him my left hand. He quietly whistles and drops my hand, allowing me to turn the ring around so the diamond is on the side of my palm, before smiling to Harry. The movement did not go unnoticed by him, however. "I want to keep it quiet for a little bit," I explain at his confused expression. "When we give them the okay, his parents are going to make an official announcement in the paper but for now, we just want to enjoy it as our own little secret."

He nods in understanding. The press had a field day when they found out about his and Ginny's engagement (even more so with their wedding) so I know he understands when I don't want the immediate attention that mine and Draco's engagement will cause.

"How did Malfoy's parents react to the engagement?" he asks.

I shrug. "I haven't spoken with Narcissa yet but from what he told me, they're fine with it. I'm fairly positive Narcissa actually helped him pick out the ring. I'm more worried about Narcissa attempting to plan the wedding; from what I've heard from Draco, she can be a bit… extravagant."

"A bit?" he chuckles and I shrug.

"His words, not mine."

Harry laughs and shakes his head. "Well, no matter what your wedding turns out to be like, as long as you're happy is all that matters in the end."

I smile. "I am; this past month has been hell but the fact that both of us woke up feeling remarkably better this morning just tells me that I think I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel."

Harry smiles and squeezes my hand. Before our conversation can continue, Ginny walks back into the room, a red faced Fleur and puffy eyed Jacque following her. Bill and Ron follow the girls shortly after and there's a small silence as we all wait to find out what happened.

"Everything's fine," Bill says, who wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulder. "It was just a big misunderstanding is all." Jacque sniffs and excuses herself before going upstairs; Ron follows shortly after.

Ginny snorts. "That's the understatement of the year," she mutters. Bill glares at her but Gin turns her attention to me and Harry instead, choosing to ignore her eldest brother. When she spots the band on my left hand, she furrows her brows and looks at me. I put my finger to my lips and flip my palm over so she can see the diamond and she grins like a little kid in a candy store. I giggle and put my palm down before anyone else can see the ring but when I look up, I see that Draco watched the whole exchange with an amused expression on his face. Ginny looks at him and taps her own wedding band then gives him an 'okay' sign with her hand and he rolls his eyes and chuckles.

Just then, Molly and Arthur walk out of the kitchen, looking far better than either of her daughters-in-law. When she spots me, she grins and pulls me off the couch into a tight hug. "Hermione, dear, it's so good to see you."

"It's good to see you too, Molly," I say, as she pulls out of the hug. I don't have to look to know that Draco is coming up behind me; instinctively, I reach my hand out for him and he takes it, his fingers entwining with mine. "You remember, Draco Malfoy," I say.

She looks at him and smiles. "Yes, of course. Welcome to our humble home, dear. Happy Christmas."

He smiles politely at her and Arthur and accios the gifts we brought and hands them to her. "Happy Christmas to you as well, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Thank you so much for inviting us." I see Ginny struggle not to laugh out of the corner of my eye and I smirk. I can tell he's slightly uncomfortable but, to everyone else, he's his usual calm and collected self. Whatever etiquette rules his parents drilled into his head as a child seem to have stuck with him and help him move his way through awkward situations effortlessly. I envy him for that talent, sometimes.

Molly seems slightly baffled by the expensive wine that we bought and the Ogden's but Arthur smiles warmly and speaks for his wife. "Any friend or person of importance to Hermione is a friend of ours, Mr. Malfoy. It's a pleasure to have you join us."

Draco's polite smile shifts to a more relaxed one; Arthur always had this ability to relax any situation and this is no different. "Thank you, Mr. Weasley. But, please, call me Draco. Mr. Malfoy is my father and frankly, I feel a little old whenever someone calls me that."

Ginny snorts. "That's because you _are_ old."

Draco playfully glares at her and she sticks her tongue out at him; Harry, meanwhile, busts out laughing. "While, technically, Ginny is right," he begins, still laughing, " _Hermione_ is-"

"Harry, I swear to all that is holy, if you finish that sentence, you'll be starting the New Year in a bed a St. Mungo's," I threaten and he does the smart thing and shuts up. I don't have a problem being older than my friends, but there is no way in _hell_ I'm getting pulled into this. Harry's still chuckling quietly to himself but at least the topic is dropped for now. Draco and I move over to the couch next to Harry and Ginny where the conversation changes to the Greece trip while Molly and Arthur return to the kitchen.

Jacque and Ron return downstairs a few minutes later, Jacque holding her son in her arms. I had only seen Ron's son in photos from around Harry and Ginny's place but seeing him in person is jarring. He's a spitting image of his father: bright blue eyes, bright red hair, freckles dot his chubby cheeks and little nose, and he's sporting that same goofy grin I've seen on Ron's face many a time. But that's not the most jarring part: what stands out to me the most is that I don't get emotional seeing the baby.

I thought I was just feeling better because I was telling myself it was so but one look at the small child in Jacque's arms and I know that I'm okay. Sure, there's still that lingering hurt. But I really am better now. Draco's hand covering mine tells me he's feeling the same thing.

Following them, a green-haired Teddy and Victorie, looking more and more like a small replica of Fleur everytime I see her, come bounding down the stairs. Victorie goes straight to her mother while Teddy bounds right into Draco's lap. "Uncle Draco, Uncle Draco, guess what!" he exclaims as Draco adjusts his hold on his cousin so he doesn't fall off the couch.

"What, Teddy?" Draco asks, smiling.

"I'm gonna be a professional Quidditch player when I grow up!" he exclaims proudly.

"Oh really?" Draco asks.

"Tell him what team you want to play for, Teddy," Harry says, sharing a smirk with Ginny. I see Ron huff and shake his head out of the corner of my eye and I'm confused for a moment until Teddy announces his team of choice.

"Puddlemere!" he says, wearing the biggest grin I've ever seen on his face. There's a moment of silence as Ron grumbles something about "the Cannons being better" before Draco, Harry, Ginny, George, and Charlie all bust out laughing. I roll my eyes and just shake my head. Even after all these years, I've still never been into Quidditch but I appease my friends, and now Draco's, obsession with it because it makes them happy.

Molly comes out of the kitchen, then, and announces that dinner is ready. We all shuffle into the dining room and sit closely together since there's so many of us but I don't mind. It's kind of nice in a way. Reminds me of back in school with all of us talking about assignments and Fred and George's latest prank and Harry and I trying to explain muggle inventions to Arthur. Nostalgia can be a funny thing, sometimes, but right now, I welcome it.

Dinner remains light and the tension that was between Molly, Fleur, and Jacque has dissipated for the time being. More than once, throughout the night, I notice Ron watching Draco and I but I pay it no mind; he knows I'd kill him if he tried to start anything with Draco tonight and, if anything, I think he's still getting used to the idea of us being together. I know a lot of people are since we got together while in New York; hell, except Harry and Blaise, no one else knew about us.

My heart tightens as Blaise crosses my mind. It bothers me that he and Q haven't been found yet. I know Blaise has been on my radar for some suspicious behavior lately, but that doesn't mean that I wanted him to completely vanish. If anything, now that I think about it, Blaise was probably just off sowing his wild oats or something; should he have been doing that while working on a case, no, but this is Blaise we're talking about here. He never really did like to play by the rules.

Well, wherever he and Q are, I hope they're safe. And I hope they know that we'll do whatever we can to find them.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts as Molly stands and begins to gather everyone's plates to clean up. I offer to help but she shoos me away and tells me not to worry about it; then she turns her attention to her sons (George and Ron, in particular) and makes them help her with the cleanup. Draco and Harry offer their assistance as well and Molly accepts it wholeheartedly while sending the rest of us out back into the living room.

Ginny and I sit on one couch, snuggled together under a blanket, Teddy and Victorie laying in the middle of the living room, playing exploding snap, and little Ben drawing a picture next to Victorie. Angelina, Percy, and Audrey are talking about some sort of new potion that's in development right now, Bill, Charlie, and Arthur are discussing their respective jobs (Charlie is being especially expressive about an encounter he had with a Hungarian Horntail recently), and Fleur and Jacqueline are talking quietly amongst themselves in French.

My French is a bit rusty considering I haven't used what little I knew since I was a child but from what I can pick up, they're discussing housing in different areas of Britain. I don't think much of it except that if Jacque is planning on moving her and Ron farther away from the Weasleys, Molly would have a cow. Merlin help her if that's her plan.

Ginny starts to run her fingers through my hair and it feels like Heaven. I kick off my shoes, curl up in a ball and snuggle closer to her and she chuckles but continues to play with my hair. I begin to get relaxed and feel my eyes start to close. Just as I'm about to fall asleep, I'm jolted awake by a very heavy weight lying on top of me. And I know _exactly_ who it is.

"If you want to see tomorrow morning, I highly suggest that you get off of me, now," I say, groaning at the added weight. Ginny groans a little too, suggesting I'm not the only one struggling here.

"But you both looked so cozy; I just wanted to join on the fun!" says a familiar voice, but not the one I expected it to be. I open my eyes, expecting Draco, only to find a mass of black messy hair staring back at me and Harry completely sprawled out on top of me and Ginny. "Besides, it may be my way of saying that no one gets to cuddle with my wife except me."

I scoff and push him off of me; only problem with that is he wasn't ready for my shove so he falls off the couch and attempts to take me with him. I try to push him off again but he grabs my hands and begins to pull me to the floor where he made a loud ' _thump_ ' when he landed. I try to fight him off and that's how we end up stuck in the position we're in now: Harry on the floor trying to pull me down but me using as much body strength as I can to stay on the couch. Just when I think I've managed to pull myself out of his grasp, I feel a firm kick from Ginny on my backside and I roll off the couch.

The only upside is that I land on Harry, who softens my fall. "Oof!" Harry says when we collide and I groan. "Sorry, Harry."

He smiles sheepishly before dropping his head back down on the floor, clearly out of sorts from my landing. Ginny starts laughing hysterically and we both glare at her which makes her laugh harder. Harry and I share a glance and smirk as we get the same idea. At the same time, we each grab Ginny's hands and pull her down to the ground with both of us. She squeaks at the fall but doesn't have much time to process everything as I lay down on top of her, making a cross with our bodies, trapping her the floor. Harry joins moments later and we're laughing as Ginny's attempting to fight us off.

In the midst of Ginny's attempts, I look up and find Draco standing by the wall, watching us with an amused smirk on his lips. I smile at him and his smirk turns to a genuine smile as well (one that he usually saves only for me, I've noticed). "You okay?" I mouth to him and he nods. I blow him quick kiss before I'm distracted by a sharp stick in my side.

"Ow! Ginny!" I exclaim, finding she's sticking me with her fingernail. I poke her back and move just enough to get Harry off of me. I wiggle my way out of the dog pile on top of Ginny just as George decides he wants to join the fun. I shake my head as Ginny fights her way from the bottom and tackles her brother to the floor (Harry made the wise decision and snuck away to stand next to Ron) as I make my way over to Draco.

He smiles at me and wraps me in his arms as I join him. We chuckle as Teddy and Victorie have now joined the dog pile that George is now at the bottom of. I look up at him and peck his cheek. He looks at me, his eyes softening as they meet mine. "How are you holding up?" I ask.

He gives me a small smile and kisses my forehead. "I'm good."

"Me too," I smile.

One of his hands cups my face and he leans in to kiss me softly. I return the kiss just as gently but we're interrupted by the sound of someone gagging. "Ugh; really guys?" Harry says.

We break the kiss to see Harry looking disgusted. "Well no one asked you look, Potter," Draco says and I bury my face into his shirt to control my laughter. Harry rolls his eyes and sticks his tongue out at me; an action I reciprocate, causing Draco to laugh at our childlike behavior.

We don't return to our flat until after 2am and I immediately fall into bed. Draco has to force me to get back up and change into something more comfortable and I'm half tempted to sleep nude but I decide against it since that would most likely end up with Draco and I shagging each other's brains out and I'd like to be a little more awake for that. I quickly throw on a t-shirt of Draco's and some shorts and fall back into bed, snuggling under the covers. I vaguely hear Draco shuffle around for a little more until he crawls into bed and wraps his arms around me.

He kisses my forehead and turns off the lights. "Happy Christmas, Hermione," is the last thing I hear before I fall asleep.

* * *

 ** _Please review!_**

 ** _Hermione's engagement ring and necklace are on the TCC Pinterest board. Link is on my profile._**


	25. Chapter 24: New Year's Eve Interlude

_**A/N: Hi lovelies! It's gonna be consistent updates from here on out, since I'm writing the last chapter right now! *squeals* Man, that's a weird thought, considering at one point, I was sure that I was gonna be writing this well into the summer. I do have a question for you guys, though: would you prefer daily updates from here on out or weekly? Whichever answer I get more of, that will be the one I choose.**_

 ** _Tallyho!_**

* * *

 **Chapter 24: Hermione (New Year's Eve Interlude)**

The villa in Greece is _gorgeous_. It's just outside Mykonos and the view alone is to die for. Ginny said the villa itself is called the House of Turquoise and I can see why; the entire theme throughout the whole house is white and turquoise. Very fitting for the Greek beachside. There's a beautiful pool in the backyard and a small path that leads down to a small cove that expands into the beach. The water is crystal clear blue and I immediately find myself entranced by the millions of colors dancing in the ocean water.

This morning, Jacque, Ginny, and I stayed by the pool, enjoying the beautiful weather while the boys ran off to the beach and caused who knows what kind of trouble (Little Ben stayed with his grandparents for the holiday). The boys came back a couple hours later, thoroughly exhausted and more than a little sunburned. Poor Draco had to take a cold shower as an attempt to cool his skin down. I lathered him up with some muggle aloe vera after he got out and sent him to bed. He woke up feeling better but that bottle of aloe has not been far from his side since. I had to muffle a laugh as I watched my boyfriend- _fiancé_ \- use a muggle remedy to soothe his burned skin.

Currently, the boys are off setting up some fireworks for the celebrations tonight, leaving us girls to our own devices. We're sitting on the patio drinking some champagne, a bonfire glowing in the firepit, and laughing about Ginny and Harry's first kiss after Gryffindor won the House Cup our sixth year. Ginny blushed as I explained Ron's reaction- or lack of one- to Jacque. Ginny then begins to explain that Ron cornered her later that night and attempted to tell her about what happened when a boy and girl get together. She managed to shoo him off with a snarky comment about being quite adept in that area of a relationship and I have to keep from falling off my seat at the picture of Ron stalking away from his sister red-face and muttering to himself, _not_ wanting to imagine that his best friend and sister would ever get to that point in their relationship.

"Gin, you are ruthless," I finally manage to say, toasting her glass in approval of her methods.

She shrugs and smirks. "What can I say? When you grow up with six older brothers, you learn things about the human body and their functions a little earlier than you probably should."

I snort and take a sip of my drink. "Heaven help your brothers' children." I immediately sober and give Jacque a sympathetic look. "No offense, Jacque."

She smiles and shakes her head. "None taken."

Ginny takes a big sip of her glass and frowns when she sees that it's empty. "If you'll excuse me for a minute, ladies, I need a little more bubbly." She happily skips back into the house, leaving Jacque and myself alone. We sit in a moderately comfortable silence before I speak up.

"How do you think the boys are doing?" I say, trying to make conversation.

She shrugs. "There haven't been any loud explosions so I think they're fine."

I chuckle and shake my head. "Merlin help them if something catches on fire."

She's silent for another moment before looking at me. "Can I ask you something?" she says.

"Shoot," I say, taking another sip of my drink.

"Did you love Ron?"

I nearly choke on my drink and look at her in disbelief. "Excuse me?"

"It's a yes or no question, Hermione. Did you love Ron?"

"I- I fail to see why this is even a topic of conversation," I say, trying to figure out what the _hell_ she's talking about.

"Just, _please_ , answer the question," she says, her eyes begging me to go along with her.

I sigh and think about it for a moment before answering her.

"I did, once; before the war. I loved everything about him: his smile, his laugh, his sarcastic responses to _everything_. At the time, I thought he was perfect. Then the war came and my perspective changed; hell, I changed as a person. We all did.

"After the war, I saw Ron not as who he was but who he could have been and what he could have done. I saw so much potential in him that I pushed him a little too far, I think. I was forcing an idea onto him that he wasn't comfortable with. I think he resented me for that for a while.

"As time went on, I no longer saw what Ron could have been; instead, I saw more of who he had become: a man scarred from war and a boy who had lost his brother. He needed comfort and I couldn't give it to him; I was also damaged and I needed time to heal. I look back on it now and realize that perhaps it wasn't Ron who I loved, so much as the potential that I saw in him." I pause for a second before speaking again. "So, to answer your question, Jacque, yes, I did love Ron. I loved him for who he was and who I thought he could be. But I was never _in_ love with him; I cared for him deeply but I couldn't love him like that. Not how you love him; not how I love Draco."

She nods and takes a swig of her drink. "Can I ask what brought that on?" I say.

She swallows and leans her head back on the seat. "Call it a moment of weakness," she says. We're silent as she mulls over her thoughts. "I don't know; sometimes I just feel like Ron wakes up some mornings and expects someone else to be there."

"Who?" I ask.

"Honestly: you," she says, glancing at me before looking back up.

I nearly choke on my drink. "W- what? Jacque, no, that's-"

"I'm not saying it's your fault, Hermione. You two haven't spoken in years, how could it be?" She sighs and studies her hands. "I just sometimes think that for him, you're the one that got away. The big 'what if,' if you will. And to see you with Draco has brought some old feelings back for him, I think."

I'm speechless; I did not see that coming at all. "Jacque, you must know that Ron loves you. I can see it in the way that he looks at you; it's like he'd die without you."

She chuckles but there's no humor behind it. "I love him very much; and I don't doubt that he loves me and Ben. I just wonder sometimes if perhaps we were a bit too hasty when we married. It was right after the war and we were young and impulsive." She sighs and stands up. "I'm going to go rest before the fireworks go off," she says, leaving me alone and completely dumbfounded by what the hell just happened.

I wait another moment before sighing. "You can come out now," I say, "she's gone inside."

Ginny walks back onto the patio, bottle of champagne in her hand and she plops down onto the seat next to me, pouring herself another glass before looking at me. "You okay?" she asks.

"What the hell was that?" I ask. "Did you know she felt that way?"

Ginny nods. "She told me once."

"When?"

She hesitates. "About a month after they moved to England and Ron got the job with the Aurors. She said that she noticed small things like the way his eyes always glanced at your door when they walked by and how concerned he was when he got the news that you were in the hospital."

Suddenly, certain things are starting to make sense. "On Christmas Eve, you shared a look with Luna when Jacque made a comment about me and Draco-"

She nods. "Luna also suspects that Ron has some lingering feelings for you; but nothing he would ever act on. We also agree that Ron _does_ love Jacque. Personally, I think they're great together." She covers my hand with hers and squeezes. "Don't worry about what she said, Hermione. Jacque's had some self-esteem issues ever since Ben was born; I think a little bit is from some of the postpartum depression that she's suffering from. She's also had quite a bit to drink. Please don't take it personally."

I shake my head. "I'm worried, Gin. I don't want her to think I'm trying to hurt her or I'm going to take Ron away from her."

Ginny shakes her head. "She knows you're not, love. Anyone who sees the way you and Draco look at each other knows that you two are madly in love and only have eyes for each other."

"I have to talk to her," I say, making a move to get up but Ginny pulls me back down.

"Talk to her in the morning; let her sleep off the alcohol and let her embarrassment settle. I'm sure you'll find the conversation to be far more productive."

I nod and sigh. Suddenly, we hear voices and turn to find the boys walking towards us. Despite the events that just happened, I can't help the smile that grows on my face when I see Draco. He smiles back at me as he gets closer to us.

"Well, no one looks like they caught on fire, so I assume the fireworks are all ready?" Ginny says.

Harry grins and nods. "Yep! We have approximately fifteen minutes before the show begins which gives me plenty of time to grab something to eat because I am starving!"

"I'll go with you," Ginny says, walking off to the kitchen with her husband.

Ron looks around and seems confused. "Where's Jacque?"

"Said she wanted to lay down before the fireworks started," I reply.

He nods in thanks and wanders off towards his room to find his wife, leaving Draco and I alone on the patio. He bows dramatically and offers me his arm. "Care to take a walk?"

"I'd love to," I giggle.

I stand up and take his arm and we walk down to the little cove; we walk in a comfortable silence, hand in hand. As we reach the cove, Draco sits down on a nearby rock and looks up at the stars while I wander off towards the water and stand on the shore, smiling as the water covers my feet. The water's surprisingly warm for late December but I don't mind. It's quite refreshing, actually.

I feel Draco come up behind me and wrap his arms around my waist and he kisses my temple. "Galleon for your thoughts, love?"

I chuckle. "They're not worth that much."

"They are to me," he says, his breath hitting the base of my neck and sending chills down my spine.

I lean my head back against his shoulder and he kisses the base of my neck. "I love how peaceful it is here. I feel like I can just forget about everything here. Nothing else matters, you know? It's just you and me and the stars."

I can feel his smile against my neck. "It'll always be you and me and the stars, Hermione."

I chuckle and look back out onto the water and pull his arms around me tighter. "Maybe we could just stay here, Draco. Grow old. Forget about the outside world, the case, New York, even London. What if we just found some secluded island in the middle of the ocean and made it ours? Build our own little house on it and live out the rest of our lives in paradise."

He kisses my temple. "That does sound lovely," he says. "But there's one problem with that."

"Oh?" I ask. "And what's that?"

"I'm already in paradise," he whispers in my ear. "With you."

I smile and turn around in his arms to look at him. He smiles at me and leans in to kiss me. Right as our lips meet, the fireworks begin to go off. We look up and smile at the variety of colors shooting off in the sky. I giggle at the red and green fireworks that go off together and overlap one another. I look back at Draco and see him smirking. "Nice touch," I say.

He shrugs. "I couldn't help it," he says.

I chuckle and pull him into another kiss. "Happy New Year, Draco."

"Happy New Year, Hermione."

As we stand on the beach, embraced and kissing under the fireworks, I realize that Draco's right: we are in paradise. Together.

* * *

I'm one of the first ones awake in the morning. I quietly sneak of bed, careful not to wake Draco, and wander out into the kitchen to make myself some coffee. As I get out there, however, I notice that I'm not the first one awake.

Jacque looks up from the paper she's reading and immediately pales some. I give her a small smile and pour myself some coffee before sitting down catty-corner to her. We're silent for a few moments; she's looking over the paper but I can tell that she's no longer paying attention to it. When she hasn't turned the page for a few minutes, I speak up.

"Jacque, I was wondering if we could talk about last night," I begin.

She jumps a little and shakily puts down the paper. "Hermione, please don't think anything of it; I had had a little too much to drink and it messed with my thoughts. Can we just forget about it, maybe?"

I nod. "Of course; I just- I want to clarify one thing. I don't love Ron; maybe I did once but that was years ago and we've grown up since then. We have our own lives now and neither of us really play a pivotal role in each other's anymore. I'll always care for him; he was my best friend for eight years, you don't just forget about that." I cover her hand with mine. "But I'm happy with Draco and Ron is so very obviously happy with you, I just want you to know that I'm not going to try and sweep in and bring back the past. I've messed with time before, I have no intention of doing it again."

She furrows her brows and I smirk. "Another time."

She gives me a small smile and sighs. "I know you wouldn't do anything like that, Hermione and I do apologize for what I said last night. I don't know what came over me; maybe it was the champagne, maybe it was being away from Ben for an extended period of time, I don't know. I just hope I haven't ruined our chances at a friendship because I definitely thought that we had one forming."

I chuckle and squeeze her hand. "Not at all. Today is the beginning of a new year, so what do you say we toss last night out as the final hoorah to a _very_ weird year and treat today as our fresh start?"

She smiles. "I'd like that."

I raise my mug for a toast and she does the same. "To a fresh start," I say.

"To a fresh start," she repeats.

We smile at one another for a moment before I look off to the hallway. "You can come out now, Gin!" I say.

Ginny sheepishly comes out of the hallway, trying not to laugh. "How do you do that?" she asks.

I shrug. "It's an Auror thing."

She laughs and pours some coffee for herself before joining us at the counter. "Anything interesting in the outside world?" she asks, gesturing to the paper.

Jacque shakes her head. "Nothing that I need bother to repeat. It's been a relatively quiet holiday it seems."

I slide the paper out from under her fingers and begin to flip through it, stopping when an article on a new set of Arithmancy books that's going to be released. I become glued to the story until I see a hand put the paper down on the counter and lips kiss my cheek. "Good morning," Draco says.

I look to him and smile. "Good morning," I reply, kissing him softly.

"Blegh!" a new voice says and we look to find Harry and Ron emerging from their rooms, looking thoroughly disgusted. "Can't you two at least wait until you get home to do that?" Ron says.

Jacque laughs and smacks her husband on the arm. "Oh, you hush. I think it's romantic."

Ron rolls his eyes and wraps his arms around her shoulders and kisses her temple. "Whatever you say, love."

She smiles and leans into his embrace and as I watch them, I know that, no matter what Ron may feel or not feel for me, he adores his wife and she adores him back. Jacque has nothing to worry about; Ron's not going anywhere.

I look back at Draco and smile at him as I know that he's not going anywhere either.

* * *

 ** _Pictures of the House of Turquoise (yes, it's a real place) are on the TCC Pinterest board._**

 ** _Better fasten your seatbelts, kids. Things start to pick up from here. Not immediately, but in time, they will._**

 ** _Please review!_**


	26. Chapter 25

_**A/N: So I only got one review yesterday in regards to the update schedule so I'm just gonna post them every day 'cause I can! Ha! I just finished the last chapter last night (or should I say around 1am this morning) and it feels so weird to be done but I am so excited for you guys to read the later chapters. I think you're going to flip! But for now...**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 25: Draco**

We go back to work today. I wasn't crazy about Hermione returning to work so soon after the accident but she insisted so, here we are, walking to the Auror department together. When we enter the meeting room, we're surprised to find Teigan and Keller here.

"Daniel!" Hermione exclaims and walks towards him. They share a quick hug before she pulls back and greets Teigan while I shake hands with Keller. "Auror Teigan, it's good to see you," she says.

"You as well, Auror Granger. I'm glad to see you've made a full recovery." He looks to me and nods. "Good to see you, Auror Malfoy."

"Likewise, sir. If I may ask, what brings you to our neck of the woods?"

"Aurors Weasley and Keller are here to take Aurors Quentin and Zabini's places while the case continues," Potter says, walking in, Weasley right behind him. "Auror Teigan will be monitoring the case with me and we will step in, when and where it is necessary."

I furrow my brows at the mention of Blaise. "Do we have _any_ word on where they might be? It's been weeks!"

Potter shakes his head and looks at me sadly. "Unfortunately, we have no idea where they are. The area's been searched over with a fine tooth comb three times and we have no leads onto what could have happened to them or where they could have vanished to."

"We _do_ , however, have more information on the explosion," Teigan says. We all sit at the table before he begins to go into detail about what happened. "We found indications that the explosion that went off was _not_ the original bomb that was supposed to go off."

"Wait, what?" Hermione asks. "You mean there were _two_ bombs?"

"Well, yes and no," he says. "We had our muggle technical team look at the other bomb we found in the area and they found that the original bomb that was supposed to go off was a fake."

"A fake?!" I say.

Teigan nods. "A decoy to distract us from the real bomb, which just so happened to be right near where Auror Granger was walking when it when off. Which brings me to my next point of interest." He looks directly to Hermione now. "We believe the bomb that went off was meant to kill you, Hermione."

She tenses up and, losing my professional demeanor for a moment, I place my hand over hers in a protective manner. She takes a deep breath and looks at Teigan, but doesn't remove her hand from mine. "What suggested that?"

"Where the bomb went off was in close proximity to where you were, which is why you were thrown when the bomb went off and why our protection spells didn't work as well as we'd hoped; the bomb was already within the protected area."

"Wait a second," I say. "Are you telling me that Granger was _targeted_?! By who? _Why_?!" Hermione's stood up by this point and begins to pace as she listens to the conversation.

Teigan sighs and shakes his head but it's Keller who speaks up. "Unfortunately, we don't have the answer to either of those questions; what we've put together so far, however, is that we suspect that Auror Granger has become a target due to her conversations with Morrison. We believe that whoever killed Morrison (maybe the accomplice or the mole or maybe someone else altogether) is now targeting her because of the information that she gathered. They may think that she's a potential threat because of what she knows from what Morrison told her."

"Oh my God," Hermione says, finally. We all look at her and see a worried expression on her face.

"What?" Potter asks.

"Theo;" she says, looking up.

"What about Nott?" Weasley asks, very confused.

"Theo's next. If I'm the ultimate target, that means Theo's next! That's the killer's goal: get rid of anyone who might have had any sort of information into what Morrison was doing. It's why Blaise and Q disappeared!" She must see my eyes widen at the idea of Blaise dead because she shakes her head, fervently. "I'm not saying that they're dead; maybe just locked away somewhere while he tries to kill me next."

"What makes you think that they're still alive?" Potter asks.

"Because we would've been told by now if they were. Keep in mind, the killer didn't take Morrison away; he left him there for us to find. The killer would want to show the world what he had done; show _us_ that things are escalating. If Blaise and Q were dead, we'd know by now. If my theory's correct, the killer took Blaise and Q to distract us while he works his way to try and get to me again."

There's a quiet muttering of agreement amongst everyone at the table. "We need to keep an eye on Theo, 24/7. Maybe even move him occasionally to keep him from being in one spot too long. We can't risk losing him too."

"Is he even that important?" Weasley asks. "You said so, yourself, Harry, you weren't sure if he was even worth the suspicions."

Before Potter can answer, Hermione speaks up. "Yes, Ron, he _is_ that important. Something happened to Theo the night that Morrison was murdered; I don't know what but I will find out. We have to assume, however, that Theo's missing memories have to do with the killer and that means that the killer is going to come after Theo. Even if his memories are gone, the killer can't risk it on the off chance that something comes back to Theo that would help us figure out who the killer is."

"What makes you think that the killer would go after Theo before going after you again?" Teigan asks.

"If there's anything that I figured out about Morrison, it's that he liked a challenge and he loved to play games. It only make sense that he would work with people who are similar in mindset. The killer may have attempted to kill me in New York but now that I survived, I think he wants to wait; he wants to mess with my head. Have me watch everyone who was affiliated with him or this case to either die or go missing before my turn so I have to slowly watch my death come and have there be nothing I can do about it. He wants to try and scare me; in doing so, he'll try to go after Theo next. I'm sure of it. We need to keep a watch on him _all the time_."

"Does that technically mean that we're _all_ at risk?" Weasley asks.

"Yes and no. Those of us who got closest to Morrison are probably at the biggest risk right now; hence why there's a target on my head because I was the one he talked to the most."

The team discusses a little more about keeping an eye on Theo and Hermione's theory before we're dismissed. Hermione wanders off back to her office with Keller, discussing the day of the explosion while I stay behind and ask to speak to Teigan and Potter privately. Weasley tries to stay behind to listen in but Potter, thankfully, shoos him away and closes the door after him leaving me to talk to them alone.

"What's wrong, Malfoy?" Potter asks.

I take a deep breath before just saying what's on my mind. "I think Granger needs to have an escort with her; just until we're sure that the target on her head is gone. I'm not comfortable with her walking around out in the open knowing that the killer could come after her at any moment."

Potter nods but Teigan speaks before he can. "I understand that you're concerned for your partner, Auror Malfoy, but Auror Granger's one of the best in the department, next to yourself. The extra security to help her almost seems unnecessary since we don't even know if the killer is in London."

I clench my fists but manage to keep myself calm. "No disrespect, sir, but that kind of thinking is the reason Ivan Rostov and everyone else in the Western Union Building is either severely injured or dead. We weren't as well prepared as we thought we were and in the process we lost a lot of information, time, two Aurors, and I very nearly lost my fiancé." I vaguely process the surprised look on Teigan's face but I'm too angry to really give it any thought. "Forgive me for being so blunt but that excuse is a load of bullshit. There is a target on her head and Theo's also at risk and you don't want to do anything because you think they'll be fine. Absolutely not. I've already lost my best friend and very nearly lost the woman I love because of us assuming that we'd be fine. I'm not taking that chance anymore; we _can't_ lose more people. Not while I'm working this case."

Teigan sighs and glances at Potter before looking back at me. "I didn't realize that you and Miss Granger were so serious. I had my suspicions about you two but I wasn't aware that-"

"The official announcement hasn't been made yet," I say, annoyed.

He nods and looks back to Potter. "What do you think, Harry?" he says, breaking his professional demeanor.

Potter sighs and shakes his head. "This is your call, Nick. Hermione is practically my sister so I'm going to agree with Malfoy on this one that some extra protection wouldn't necessarily be bad at a time like this. Yes, we're short staffed right now but I think it'd be worth it."

Teigan sighs and nods to both of us. "It appears that I am outnumbered, then. You two can pick who her escort will be and I will discuss with Keller on keeping Mr. Nott safe as well."

"Thank you, sir," I say, immediately feeling a lot lighter than before.

Teigan nods and walks out of the room, leaving Potter and myself to discuss who a good guard for Hermione should be. We agree that he, myself, and- Merlin help me- Weasley would be the best choices to be a guard for her, since 1) she trusts all three of us and 2) we're the ones who know her the best. Neither Potter nor I feel comfortable letting anyone else guard her so that's the decision we made. She's not going to like it but until the target is gone from her head, she's going to have to get used to it.

We agree that I should be the one to tell her, since it was my idea, so that's how I end up in front of her office, more than a little nervous to tell her that I want someone to be with her at all times just until we know we have the killer in custody. Taking a deep breath, I summon some of that Gryffindor courage of hers and knock. "Come in," I hear her say.

I walk in and close the door behind me. She looks up and smiles and I feel a bit of the tension seep out of my shoulders. I walk over to her side of the desk and lean down to place a soft kiss on her lips. When we pull out, she furrows her brows at me and I know she must sense that I'm nervous. "What's wrong?"

I lean against her desk and take her hands in mine. "Please don't be angry with me," I begin.

She sighs and rolls her eyes. "What did you do?"

"W-well, Potter and I-mainly me- weren't necessarily very comfortable with the idea of you wandering around with this target on your head without some sort of protection for you. So, after talking it over with Teigan, we came to an agreement that we think there should be someone with you at all times until we can catch the killer. A guard of sorts, if you will."

The look she gives me would have made Potter or Weasley cringe in fear of her reaction but I know better and instead, just meet her glare with one of my own. I love her but I'm not about to let her scare me out of my decision. We took a chance with all our safety once; I won't do it again, especially with her life on the line.

I continue to hold onto her hands and rub small circles on the back of them, soothingly, as she continues to glare at me, not saying anything; I take the fact that she hasn't taken her hands away as a good sign but I'm not letting the relief flood over me just yet. "Please just bear with me, okay?" I say. "I know you think I'm being paranoid-and maybe I am- but I can't risk your life. Not again; not with the chance that this killer could-and probably _will_ \- come after you again."

She sighs. "Draco, I know you want to protect me but don't you think that this whole 'guard' thing is a bit much?"

I shrug. "I'd rather be safe than sorry."

"It just seems like we're putting a lot of our energy on one place when we could use it elsewhere."

"It'll only be me, Weasley, or Potter who'll be guarding you, love. Potter and I agreed that we don't necessarily trust anyone else to protect you just in case they're the mole."

She sighs again and pulls her hands from mine and runs them through her hair. I stay silent as I watch her process everything; partially for fear she'll lash out at me and partially because I love to watch her think. Her eyes get a distant look to them as if she's seeing something that's not in the room, her breathing quiets as if she's afraid if she's too loud, she'll lose her train of thought and the way she bites her bottom lip when she's concentrating. Oh, what I'd give to bite that lip for her while she moans from the way that my hands run up her legs…

 _Shit_. _Two and two makes four, three and three make six, eight and eight make sixteen,_ I say to myself to distract myself from the erection that's growing in my trousers. _Ten and ten is twenty._ I'm so focuses on reciting muggle math equations in my head that I don't notice Hermione has been trying to get my attention until she stands up in front of me and plays with my tie that my attention is back to her. Her brows furrow in confusion. "Where were you just now?" she asks.

I shake my head and place my hands on her hips and pull her closer to me. "Nowhere, love. What did you decide?"

She shrugs. "While I think that you're being paranoid, I don't want to argue with you about this so I'll concede and let you do this whole guard thing. Just… promise me that this is all you'll let your paranoia do, okay? You can set some extra wards around the house too, if you'd like, but none of that overprotective shit where you need to know where I am or what I'm doing at all times, alright? I won't stand for that for one second."

I smirk. "Of course, love. I just want to make sure that you're protected is all; I promise I won't go overboard."

"Good," she smiles and leans in to kiss me. I kiss her softly but as her fingers start to trail up my chest to my shoulders and then up to my hair, the kiss begins to deepen and I know that there's no way I'm leaving this office without thoroughly shagging my fiancé first. Thankfully she seems to have the same idea because when we break for air she only says one thing: "Lock the door."

* * *

I leave Hermione's office sated, still tasting her chapstick on my lips. It takes everything I have not to grin like an idiot; especially since I'm about to head to the holding cells to see Theo. I haven't properly spoken to him since he was arrested and, with Blaise missing, it's time I paid a visit to my friend.

Hermione's still convinced he's innocent (she finally told me what she saw in Theo's head the day he was arrested) and I can't help but agree with her; not that I've told Potter that detail. Right now, I'm heading to see Theo just to see how he's doing; this isn't a business call, it's personal.

When I find him in his cell, he's laying on the cot, staring at the ceiling. "Hey, Theo," I say.

He looks up at me and for a split second, I see a small smile appear on his lips. "Hey, Draco."

We're silent as we figure out what to say next. He speaks first: "I, uh, I heard that Granger got hit pretty hard by that explosion in New York. She okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, she's fine," I say. "She's back at work already, actually."

His eyebrows raise. "Really? Well, she's a resilient one, isn't she?"

I chuckle and shake my head. "She's stubborn, is what she is."

We're silent again for another minute. I look around and, when I see that no one is around, I unlock the cell with some wandless magic and give him a nod to my right. He furrows his brows but quickly gets the idea and follows me out of his cell. I close it once again before I turn to him and walk him down the hall into an interrogation room. We sit across the table from each other and, despite the setting, we both immediately relax. It's probably because no one else is around to hear us anymore.

"Theo, Hermione told me what she saw in your head…" I begin. He sighs and shakes his head but says nothing. "I- I'm so sorry," I say. "If I had known-"

"You'd what?" Theo says. "Visit me? Make sure I was okay? Try to help me?" He scoffs and shakes his head. "Look, Draco, I appreciate the thought but nothing you could have said or done would have helped."

"You don't know that, Theo."

"Don't I? I saw Healer after Healer and all they did was give me some potions to take a few times a day and sent me on my way. They worked for a little while… but after about four months, they weren't as effective…"

"That's when you turned to attempted suicide?" I ask.

He nods. "Not immediately. At first it was just upping the dosages. Then I just became more and more miserable that I didn't want to _be_ anymore. Then not wanting to be became not wanting to live." He stares behind me, not really seeing anything. "I won't go into the ugly details but basically, it was around the third attempt when the house elves took matters into their own hands and called a therapist and after about six months my therapist decided to send me to a rehab in New York. I'm sure you can figure out the rest."

"Theo… you have more to live for than the rest of us. Why- why suicide? Why do you feel that you have nothing to live for?"

He shrugs. "Because I don't, Draco. Dad's in jail for the rest of his life, I can't stay at a job longer than a few months because I lose interest, and that damn Manor is so empty, it kills me. I have nothing left, Draco. Just a name and an empty house."

I want to yell and shake him and tell him that he has so much to live for; that there's so much that he's yet to do. But he won't listen. I know he won't. Theo's just as stubborn as Hermione (don't ever tell either of them I said that) and when he sets his mind to something, he sticks with it.

"Theo," I say. "Just… please don't give up yet. Hold on. If you won't hold on for me, hold on for your dad, okay? He would want you to be happy."

He glances at me before looking down to his hands but doesn't give me a definitive answer. I'll take what I can get for right now. In the meantime, I decide to change the subject. "Blaise is missing."

His head shoots up and he furrows his brows. "What do you mean Blaise is missing? How? _When_?"

"The day of the attack, minutes before the explosion, actually. He and another Auror were monitoring the area behind the building when suddenly another Auror noticed that they were gone when they had been there minutes before. We didn't have a lot of time to investigate further as the explosion went off. We still don't know where they are."

"What does Granger think?"

I smirk; Theo may not know Hermione well, but he knows enough to know that she would have her own opinion on the matter. "She thinks they're still alive, for now. She's convinced that because we haven't heard of any bodies being found that the killer is keeping them alive for the time being. Why, we don't know; we're just hoping that we can find them in time." Theo nods in agreement. "Theo, there's something else."

He furrows his brows but says nothing, encouraging me to continue. "Granger suspects that you've been targeted by the killer. She thinks that you're next on his hit list."

"What? Why? I never even knew Morrison and I'm sure I never met this suspected killer!"

"That's just the thing, Theo: you're _not_ sure. Your memories are still missing and we don't know what happened in those hours that you blacked out in. For all we know, you _did_ meet the killer."

His eyes widen as he realizes what I'm saying. "But I don't understand, why am I his target? If I don't remember what happened that night, then shouldn't I be in the clear?"

I shake my head. "Granger suspects that the killer is going after anyone who was involved with him in some shape or form: Morrison was his right hand man and he was the first person murdered, both Blaise and our other Auror were closely involved with the case, and you have your missing memories. We think he's picking everyone involved off one by one, but his ultimate endgame is to kill Granger."

"Are _you_ at risk?"

I shrug. "I assume so but that's not my main priority right now: I have to make sure that Hermione stays safe at all times." He smirks at my slip of using Hermione's given name but I really couldn't care less right now. "I shouldn't even be sharing this much information with you but I felt that you deserved to know that you're being targeted. It still needs to be discussed with Potter and Teigan but I think Granger's going to try to set up a guard around you and even transfer you every other week or so just as an added precaution."

"Transferring me? What am I, a package?"

I chuckle and shake my head. "Nothing's set in stone, yet, Theo. Don't get your knickers in a wad just yet. We'll figure something out in regards to keeping you safe."

He rolls his eyes but there's no malice behind it. I end our conversation there, for the time being and walk him back to his cell. "See you soon, Theo," I say.

"See you soon, Draco," he smirks but I can still see the sadness in his eyes.

* * *

 ** _Please review!_**


	27. Chapter 26

_**A/N: Two of my classes were cancelled today so I'm not going to my third! Ha!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 26: Hermione**

After Draco leaves my office, both of us satisfied and happy, I sober up to take care of my next order of business. I grab my wand and lock my office door behind me, only to come face to face with Ron. "Merlin, Ronald!" I jump and clutch my pounding heart. "Don't do that to me!"

He smiles sheepishly. "Sorry, Hermione; I didn't mean to scare you."

I shake my head and give him a small smile. "It's fine, Ron. I just wasn't expecting you. What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I'm your guard for the afternoon!" he says.

I resist rolling my eyes and choose to sigh instead. "Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Thanks for doing this, Ron; I'm sure you have other more important things you could be doing but if it'll appease Draco and Harry, I guess we just have to go with it."

He chuckles. "Hey, it beats the hell out of paperwork." I don't resist rolling my eyes this time. "Where are you off to?"

"I- uh…" I glance around the hallway to see if anyone is around us to listen into our conversation. I see a couple of people wandering around and I decide the best way to tell Ron is to pull him into a more isolated area. I grab his hand and drag him into an empty conference room, lock the door, and cast a _muffliato_ before telling him what I'm going to do. "I reserved a Pensieve; it's currently in Harry's office."

Ron furrows his brows in confusion. "Okay, so? Plenty of people do that."

"I'm going to use the Pensieve on my own memories, Ron. I'm going to see if I can figure out what the hell happened the day of the explosion."

His eyes widen. "A- are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Do you have a better one?" I ask.

"Well, no but Hermione, you're going to use a Pensieve on your _own_ memories?"

"There are details missing from that day, Ron! The biggest one being what the hell happened to Q and Blaise?" I sigh and run my hand through my hair. "Think about it: the worst that could happen is we don't get any answers. But I think it's worth a shot to look, don't you?"

He shrugs. "I guess so."

"Good," I say, turning around and walking out of the room. I pause when I notice that I don't hear Ron behind me. I turn around and see him lingering in the hall a ways back. "Well, aren't you coming?" I say.

He gives me a small smile and follows me to Harry's office. Only those of us who are really close to Harry (myself, Draco, and now Ron) have access to his office; everyone else has to wait for Harry to open it for them to enter. Ron locks the door behind us and I pull the Pensieve out. I pull the memory from the day of the explosion out and put it into the Pensieve before looking to Ron. "Shall we?" I say.

He nods and follows me into my memories. We're transported to the street right outside the Western Union Building. "Blimey!" Ron says looking up at the tall skyscrapers. "So this is New York?"

I shrug. "Just one section of it. The entire city is far bigger than just this area."

"Bigger than London?" he asks.

I shake my head. "Population wise, yes but in size, London's far bigger, considering this city actually resides on an island."

Ron nods his head in understanding. "So what are we looking for?"

"Just anything out of the ordinary. A suspicious person or object; anything that looks like it doesn't belong here."

He nods and wanders over to the area where past me, Draco, Harry and the team are guarding the building while I wander a little ways out. Because my memories are strictly around the area of the Western Union Building, my wandering abilities are slightly limited but I can still veer far enough from where I was to be able to see across the street. I look in the general direction that I remember seeing movement before the explosion and study it closely when I see that same movement again.

I narrow my eyes to get a better look and my heart nearly stops when I see who it is. I'd know those eyes anywhere.

The scream sounds (sadly, I don't see who it is) and I pull Ron and myself out as everything goes black. I stumble over to Harry's desk and hold myself up as I process what I just saw. "Hermione?" I vaguely hear Ron say. "Hermione, what's wrong?"

Before I can answer, the door opens and Harry and Draco walk in. The second they look at me, I know they can tell something's wrong. "Hermione, what's wrong?" Draco asks. When I don't answer, he looks to Ron who shrugs in confusion.

I swallow and find my voice. "Lock the door and silence the room," I say.

They look to each other but don't question me and do as I say. Once they do, I swallow again before speaking. "I- I know who set off the explosion."

"Who?" Harry asks.

I look to Draco and apologize to him with my eyes. "It was Blaise. Blaise set off the explosion."

* * *

 ** _Please review!_**


	28. Chapter 27

_**A/N: I'm loving your reactions to the last chapter! Sorry not sorry about the cliffhanger! Round of applause to those who knew it was Blaise from early on.**_

 _ **I do have a secret for you though: not everything is as it seems.**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 27: Draco**

 _It was Blaise. Blaise set off the explosion._ Hermione's words echo in my head but I struggle to fully process them. _Blaise. Blaise._ _Blaise. My best friend. How?_ _ **Why?!**_

"Are you sure, Hermione?" I vaguely hear Potter ask.

She nods. "I remembered seeing some sort of movement before the explosion went off. Looking back at it through the Pensieve, I got a chance to get a little closer to the area. I saw Blaise holding a small device, almost like a remote, and pressing a button. As soon as he did, the bomb went off."

I shake my head. "No."

"Draco, I know you don't want to hear this, but I know what I saw-"

"And _I_ know Blaise! He wouldn't do this! He's not that kind of person! During the war, he kept his head down, stayed out of trouble, everything! I'm telling you he's not that kind of person! You must have seen something else in the Pensieve because it's not Blaise! It _can't_ be!" Potter and Hermione look at me sadly while Weasley won't even make eye contact with me. "You're wrong, Granger. It's not Blaise," I say before I storm out of Potter's office, vaguely aware of Hermione calling after me. I enter my office and lock the door behind me before leaning against the wall and sliding down it until I hit the floor. I drop my head against my knees and take a deep breath, trying to clear my thoughts.

"It can't be Blaise," I say, out loud. "It's not who he is. I've known him since we were kids, Blaise isn't like that." I hear myself saying the words, but I don't believe them. My heart feels like it weighs a hundred tons as the truth dawns on me: Blaise is the killer. He's probably the mole too, now that I think about it. And as much as I hate to admit it, it makes sense: the disappearances while working on the case, his weird behavior, Hermione saying she recognized the figure meeting with Morrison during her solo work; it's all coming together.

I hate it. I wish it weren't true.

But it is.

There's a soft knock on my door that makes me jump. "Draco?" I hear Hermione say. "Draco, I know you're in there. Can you open up, please? We need to talk about this."

I sigh and unlock the door with some wandless magic but otherwise, I don't move. Hermione walks in and sees me on the floor and sighs. She closes the door, relocks it, then joins me on the floor. We sit in silence for a few minutes before she reaches over and takes my hand in hers and entwines our fingers. "Are you okay?" she asks.

I sigh and shake my head. "I don't want to believe it's him. We've been friends for _years_. He always kept his head down, didn't cause trouble… well, not _too_ much." She chuckles. "Sure, he slept with anyone who was willing to fall into bed with him and he's got a twisted sense of humor but I never thought he could do something like this. He never struck me as someone so angry."

"People are complex creatures, Draco. You never truly know what anyone is feeling or thinking." She sighs. "I'm so sorry, Draco. I don't want it to be him but…"

"It makes sense," I finish. "I know, I'm beginning to piece it all together, now."

"Do- do you want me to leave you alone for a little while?" she asks.

I remove my hand from hers only to pull her close to me. "No, stay."

She gives me a light kiss on my cheek as she wraps her arms around my midsection. "Always."

* * *

The next couple weeks are more than a little hectic. The press had a field day after our engagement was announced; conveniently enough, it was also the same day that the department announced it was looking for Blaise publicly. He is now considered Undesirable No. 1 and every Ministry on the planet is looking out for him. Needless to say, the press has been eating both stories up.

Thankfully, the press has been leaving our flat alone so getting to and from home is easy. Work, however, is a completely different story since the lobby is swarming with reporters looking for any new information on the case or any gossip on Hermione or myself. They're like fucking vultures, I'm telling you.

Theo hasn't been moved but there has been a guard with him 24/7 and so far, he's okay. I've made a point to go see him everyday just to make sure that he's okay. He seems annoyed with me but I really don't care; when this case is closed and he's cleared, I'm going to help him in any way that I can. It's the least I can do for my friend.

Currently, however, Hermione and I are sitting in the lounge at the Manor trying to talk my mother down from the extravagant wedding she's attempting to plan.

"Mum, I told you, we don't want to start planning until the case is closed."

"But that could be months from now! Are you really willing to wait that long until you get to say your vows and spend the rest of your lives together?"

Hermione looks at me incredulously and I just shake my head. "Mum, we agreed that we'd feel better knowing this case was closed and done with before we even _begin_ to think about the wedding."

Mum sighs. "Fine. But that doesn't mean that you can't start looking into ideas now." She pulls out a binder- yes, a _binder_ \- full of paper that we quickly realize consists of _pages_ of wedding ideas. "I _do_ love the idea of a fall wedding, don't you? All the leaves changing color and it's still nice enough outside that you won't need a warming charm."

Hermione leans close to me and whispers into my ear. "How freaked would she be if we just eloped?"

"More than you ever want to know," I reply, quietly. "Trust me on this, the last thing you ever want to do is anger Narcissa Malfoy. She'll never let you live it down."

Hermione quietly groans and rests her head on my shoulder. I wrap my arm around her and squeeze, silently wishing that my father would return home soon. Merlin knows how long we're going to be here.

"And then there's the matter of the dress," Mum says, sifting through some more pages and this time, neither of us hold back our groans.

* * *

 ** _Please review!_**


	29. Chapter 28

_**A/N: Sorry for the late update, guys! It was a late night last night and getting around and doing stuff this morning was a bit of a struggle. Thank you guys so much for your feedback! It makes me so happy that you guys are enjoying this story.**_

 _ **You might wanna buckle your seatbelts, kids. Shit's about to hit the fan.**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 28: Hermione**

When I walk into my office Monday morning, the first thing I see is a letter. There's no return address and I don't recognize the handwriting. I check it for hexes or curses first but when they come up clean, I decide to open it. As soon as I do, though, I drop it on my desk and nearly fall over my chair.

Inside the envelope, is a bloody finger.

"D-Draco!" I yell. "Harry!" Harry comes running in first, Draco hot on his tail. "What is it?" Harry asks.

I'm shaking but I manage to speak, even though my voice cracks a couple times. "I- I walked in just now and g- got this," I point to the bloody finger on my desk. "W- we need to call an emergency meeting and get Keller in here. I- I think it might be Q's."

* * *

The next few minutes are a blur. Harry took off, gathering everyone for an emergency meeting while Draco immediately began to put new, stronger wards on my office so nothing like this could happen again. He offered to take the finger away but I swatted his hand away and told him not to touch it until Keller got here.

Fortunately, he shows up minutes later, a muggle evidence kit in hand. "We need to do a fingerprint check," I say and Keller nods in understanding. Keller is not only a muggleborn but trained with muggle police forces for a while before joining the Ministry as an Auror. Because of that experience, he's familiar with muggle techniques of fingerprint checking and dusting around the room, looking for anything unusual. He does a quick scan with his wand before looking over anything that could be out of place while Draco watches, standing guard at the door. When Keller says the room is clean, we move onto the finger.

He pulls out a handkerchief and carefully picks up the finger and examines it before casting a diagnostic spell over it. As we wait for the spell to complete, Keller explains that the spell will glow yellow if it the finger does indeed belong to Q. If it doesn't, it'll glow blue.

I've never wanted something to glow blue so badly in my entire life, but sadly, fate is not on our side. A yellow glow emits from Keller's wand and I feel my heart drop to my stomach.

It's Q's finger.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," I say, walking towards my window to breathe. I've seen gore before, that doesn't bother me. What bothers me is that _Blaise_ , someone I trusted and thought of as a friend, did this. He cut off the finger of an innocent man and _sent it to me_. Gods, what the hell is _wrong_ with him?!

"Hermione," Keller says. "There's a note."

I look back to him and see he's holding up a folded piece of paper. I take a deep breath, walk back to my desk and take the note, vaguely aware of Draco plopping down into a chair across my desk and putting his head in his hands.

I unfold the note and will my hands to stop shaking so I can read it properly.

"' _Tick tock, goes the clock; the world may be round but I can't be found. Perhaps because you're looking in all the wrong places. Remember, my dear, an enemy can be found in the friendliest of faces. Only in the hardest of hearts and the loneliest of parts can the one you seek be found. Better hurry; or soon, your friend won't be making a sound. Tick tock, tick tock.'"_

I look up to find Harry and Teigan standing in my office door, their faces as pale as mine must be. Draco hasn't moved and Keller's knuckles are white as he clutches the edge of my desk. He and Q are very close; I can only imagine what he must be feeling right now.

"Send a search party out and search the city high and low." I say. "We need to rescue Q before anything else like this happens again."

Harry and Teigan do as I say immediately, leaving Keller, Draco, and myself, staring back at the severed finger. I can only pray we find him before Blaise kills him.

* * *

I wish I had better news but it's been two weeks since we got Q's finger and it's only gone downhill from there. The search parties came back empty handed and we have nothing to go on as to where Q or Blaise might be. The only good thing is that Theo's still safe for now. Sadly, that good news can't make up for the shadow surrounding all of us.

This morning, I got another note and another finger. Because of Draco's wards, it couldn't get into my office but that didn't stop it from getting delivered to my locker, downstairs. This time the note read:

 _Piece by piece the wall falls apart but this is only the start. Your friend is running out of time, my dear; be the brave one and put aside your fear. Simply because waiting is a shame, here is a hint to help you win the game: the wind blows amongst the dead while the horses are filled with dread. The carriage has stopped but the music still plays; the children's laughter reminds us of happier days. Think of your home and then you will know what it means to be alone._

I swear, it's like Edgar Allen Poe back from the fucking grave. I have no idea what these two mean but it's killing me. Q could be dead for all we know and we're just sitting on our asses doing nothing because we don't have any information other than the notes!

Wait a second… the notes! I grab the notes again and begin to read the with a fine tooth comb. As I read them, I write down notes on both, then pulling out a map of both muggle and wizarding London looking for anything that might be connected to the notes and would give me a hint into whatever it is that I might be looking for.

Finally, after Merlin knows how long, I think I've found it: _Holliday's Inn_. It's an abandoned theme park in muggle London.

I know what you're thinking: the killer camping out at an abandoned theme park? It sounds like a bad horror movie. And, while I agree, it also makes sense: " _Tick tock, goes the clock_ " is a reference to a ride that took you on a new route every hour, " _The carriage has stopped but the music still plays_ " is a reference to the carousel that's been rumoured to still play that stupid carousel music, despite the park being deserted for years. The last line " _Think of your home_ " references the tagline: _Holliday's Inn: Your Home Away From Home_.

Blaise is at that park. I'm sure of it.

I grab my wand and sneak out of my office to Harry's floo. Harry and Draco are currently discussing strategies with Teigan and I sent Ron off a little while ago in search of nonexistent files because I wanted to be alone. I manage to make it past everyone else and sneak into Harry's office and floo out to the Leaky Cauldron. Once there, I walk out onto the street and apparate away to the theme park. As I apparate away, I can only think one thing: _Please don't let me be too late_.

* * *

 ** _Please review!_**


	30. Chapter 29

_**A/N: I have work in the morning so I figured I would just post this now and it'll qualify for tomorrow's chapter.**_

 _ **I want to address something really quick; a lot of people have been asking why Hermione would go off to find a killer who's after her on her own without backup. I have two answers for that: one) she's a Gryffindor. Walking head on into danger kind of comes standard. Two) She didn't call for backup because she has no physical proof that Blaise or Q are actually at the theme park. Right now, it's just a theory. And, as we all know, Hermione needs physical proof of something to believe it (take all of her conversations with Luna from the books if you don't believe me).**_

 _ **She's not going on her own to be brave or as a suicide mission; she just needs some solid proof before she gets anyone else involved. Hope that helps!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 29: Draco**

Potter and I walk back from the conference room after a not-so-helpful conversation with Teigan. Idiot refuses to let more than two search parties out at a time. "We're short on staff and need as many Aurors here as we do out in the field," he'd said.

When I suggested using some of the trainees, he looked as if I'd insulted his grandmother. Potter eventually ended the meeting, saying we all needed time to brainstorm some new ideas and take a break. Teigan heartily agreed before practically storming out of the room. It took every ounce of self-restraint I had not to chase after him and start yelling at him for his incompetence.

"You're the head of the bloody department, Potter! Can't you override Teigan's decision?"

"Not while he's helping out with the case. Kingsley put both of us in charge of the case and right now, that also counts in regards to the department. Besides, he's right; we can't risk more Aurors right now."

I mutter under my breath about stupid Gryffindors and their loyalty when we come upon Weasley running out of Hermione's office, looking very scattered. "Ron, what's wrong?" Potter asks.

"It's Hermione," he says. "She's gone!"

* * *

 **Hermione:**

Gods, this place is creepy! The cold weather doesn't help the eerie feeling too. I feel like I'm in a bad horror movie. I wrap my jacket tighter around myself and continue through the park. I don't see anything out of the ordinary at the moment; just a few rats that have been running around, most likely looking for scraps.

Suddenly, I hear music and I jump, nearly scared out of my wits. When I gather my bearings, I realize it's that damned carousel! Sighing in frustration, I turn around and begin to wander off in another direction of the park, thinking that maybe I was wrong about this place, when I hear something coming from inside the Carousel building. Something that doesn't sound like it belongs in a theme park attraction.

"Hello?" I call.

I'm answered with another sound: it sounds like metal clanging… or like something being thrown across the room.

I know I shouldn't go in there; every instinct in my body is screaming for me to turn around and run but I don't. Q could be in there. But just to be safe... I send my patronus out to Harry; it might be time to call for backup. Once my small otter takes off, I take a deep breath and walk into the building.

* * *

 **Draco:**

"What do you mean 'she's gone?' You were supposed to be guarding her!" I exclaim.

"I was but then she sent me out to find a file on someone named Darcy! Said she thought it would help with the case or something," Weasley says.

 _Darcy…_ "Fitzwilliam Darcy?" I say, clenching my fists.

"Yeah, but I couldn't find anything on him! Do you know who he is?"

"Oh for fuck's sake!" I yell. "You _imbecile_! Fitzwilliam Darcy doesn't exist!"

"What?"

"Ron, Fitzwilliam Darcy is a character in a book written by a muggle author. Hermione sent you on a goose chase," Potter explains. "For what reason, I wish I knew."

Weasley's face pales and he groans. "How could I have been so stupid?"

"I'm wondering the same thing!" I snap. "You _know_ she's prone to running off! Why weren't you prepared for that?!"

"I didn't know she was going to!" Weasley snaps back. "I thought she was going to be here when I came back! At first, when I came back, I thought she went to the loo but then I saw the note on her desk and-"

"What note?" Potter and I ask at the same time.

Weasley points at her desk and we run to her desk only to see another severed finger sitting in a small container I assume she was going to send to evidence. I see the second note that Blaise sent her and her scribbled notes next to it. What the hell is she up to?

"Potter," Keller says, walking into the office. "Have you seen Teigan?"

"Not since we left the meeting," he replies. "Why?"

"I can't find him anywhere. I wanted to talk to him about something but he's not in his office; I thought maybe he was with you."

Potter and I exchange a confused glance but before any of us can say anything, a bright blue otter appears in the office. "Harry," it says in Hermione's voice, "come to _Holliday's Inn._ And bring backup. I think I might have found Q."

The otter vanishes and suddenly, Potter's tense next to me.

"What the bloody hell is _Holliday's Inn_?" Weasley asks.

"It's an abandoned theme park in muggle London. Keller, tell everyone to get ready and to meet us there as soon as you can. And see if you can find Teigan; we need all the help we can get. If you can't find him on this floor, check the locker room. My guess is he's cooling down from our meeting earlier." Keller nods and runs off to get the team ready. "Ron, Malfoy, you come with me. If Hermione's found Q, that also means she might have found Blaise. We have to get to her, _now_."

* * *

 **Hermione:**

The building is creepier than all hell but that damn carousel is even more so. The music stopped shortly after I entered so now I'm only accompanied by the sound of my shoes on the stone floor and the sound of water dripping in the distance, probably due to a hole in the ceiling somewhere.

I have half a mind to call out for Q but I know that that will get me nowhere. Instead, I just use some old advice that's helped me a lot in my Auror career: constant vigilance. I glance at the carousel and briefly notice the wear and tear on the mechanical horses. The paint is chipping off many of them, a few have parts broken off of them, and even a few have broken completely and lie on their sides either on the ground or the floor of the carousel. What a sad looking place. If it wasn't so creepy, I'd almost feel nostalgic for this place.

Suddenly, a noise pulls me from my thoughts and I look to the general direction of it. " _Lumos,_ " I whisper and my wand lights up, giving me a better look. I gasp when I realize what- or should I say _who_ \- I'm looking for.

"Q!" I say, running to him. He's lying on the floor, semi-conscious, bloodied, and disoriented. I look down to his hand and see two missing fingers. My heart feels like it's in my throat. "Q, can you hear me? It's Hermione." I shake him a little to try to wake him up more. "Ryan, it's Hermione. Can you hear me?"

He wakes up a little bit and gives me a crooked smirk but I can tell he's hurting. "Hey, G. Fancy meeting you here."

I brush some loose hair from his face and try to get a better look at his face. He's got a black eye, he's bleeding from his lip and, by the looks of his disorientation, he might have a concussion. "I need you to hold on for me, okay? Help is coming," I say, hoping to whatever gods are listening that I'm right. "Can you talk to me?"

He nods, weakly. "Do you know who did this to you?" I ask.

"B- B-"

"Blaise?" I ask. "It was Blaise, wasn't it?"

He shakes his head. "It's- it's not his f- fault."

"What do you mean it's not his fault?"

"He's n- not-"

"Step aside, Granger," a new voice says.

A chill goes down my spine and slowly, I stand up and turn around to find Blaise standing in front of me, wand pointed at me. "Blaise-" I begin to say.

"Shut up, mudblood!" he spits.

I flinch, not because of the word but because of the venom spoken with it. I've never seen this side of Blaise before. I didn't know he had this much evil in him.

And that's when I notice it: the small flash of a glaze in his eyes that could easily be missed if you didn't know what you were looking for. I hate how easily I recognize that look.

Suddenly, Q's making sense. It's _not_ Blaise's fault; he's not in control of himself.

Blaise is imperiused.

" _Expelliarmus_!" Blaise yells.

I'm quicker, though, and send up a shield to protect myself, causing the spell to ricochet and hit Blaise in return. His wand skids off to somewhere else and I quickly cast a spell that sends him flying against a wall and I tie him there, keeping him in place.

Before I can return to Q, however, a slow, loud clapping sounds. I turn to the general direction of the sound and my blood runs cold as I come face to face with someone I once thought I could trust.

"You."

* * *

 ** _Surprise!_**

 ** _Please review!_**


	31. Chapter 30

**A/N: _Happy Monday!_**

 ** _Tallyho!_**

* * *

 **Chapter 30: Hermione**

" _You."_

The piercing blue eyes that meet my brown ones belong to none other than Nick Teigan. A man I once considered a friend.

"Me," he says. "Surprised?"

"Disappointed, more than anything," I say, hiding my anger behind sarcasm. It's the only way I'll be able to keep my emotions in check.

He pouts. "Awe. Am I not what you expected?"

"Not exactly. I was hoping for someone a little more intimidating, to be honest."

"Well, sorry to disappoint." He smiles but there's no humor in his eyes. Just pure, unadulterated hatred. "I'm impressed. You figured out the location much faster than I expected. Although, I admit, I am a bit disappointed. The next of Quentin's body parts I was thinking of sending you was his tongue. Oh well."

"It wasn't that hard once I read between the lines and realized the riddle was actually a map, leading me here." His eyes flash and his smile turns into a grimace. "Tell me, Teigan. Now that you've got me here, what's your next step? Other than killing me, of course."

He scoffs. "Don't be stupid, Miss Granger. Killing you would be too easy. First, I'm going to force you to watch me kill Quentin here," he gestures to Q, whose breathing is labored but he's managed to stay conscious so far, "then, I'm going to kill Zabini, there; slowly and painfully. And then, and only then, will I kill you. How I will do so, has yet to be determined."

I feel nauseous but will myself to keep the vomit down. "You going to torture them the same way you tortured Morrison?"

He laughs humorlessly. " _Morrison_. He was a fool with ambitions far too great for him to achieve. He was nothing more than a means to an end; a decoy. He loved spectacle so I let him run across the globe with his bombs and destruction; as long as it took the attention off myself. After he was arrested in New York, he became a liability. He became too fascinated by you. _You_ , a mudblood.

"When he began to divulge information to you, I knew it would only be a matter of time before he told you everything. He was a genius, but also an idiot. He was so proud of what he had accomplished, of what he _wanted_ to accomplish; but I couldn't let him live any longer than I already had. So I killed him."

 _More like slaughtered him,_ I think. "And Theo?" I ask.

"Another decoy, though I admit, not a very good one. He's too damaged, too willing to save his own skin, even if he _was_ suicidal. It was supposed to be simple: Theo would be found with Morrison's blood on him, his wiped memories would make him look suspicious, and he would be incarcerated within the hour. What I wasn't prepared for was your fierce protection of him after you looked into his memories. Again, I'm impressed."

 _I have to keep him talking,_ I think. _The longer I stall, the better chance I have of surviving this._ "Why me? What have I ever done to you that makes you so intent on killing me?"

His eyes darken and I know I've hit a sore spot. " _You_ ," he spits, "you ruined my life."

"How? Before this case, we had never met before."

"When you started as an Auror, you were working on a case in Oxford, staking out a wanted murderer holding ten hostages. You reacted too hastily and had your team storm the place. A battle started, spells flying everywhere, people on both sides, falling either injured or dead. By the time the battle ended, six people were dead; your murderer was killed along with two Aurors. Two hostages were already dead when you entered the building, but the third person who died was caught in the crossfire, trying to keep another hostage safe."

"Jennifer Teigan," I breathe, remembering that day far too well.

"My daughter," he says. "I'm glad to see your memory doesn't fail you here. I would have thought you'd long forgotten about that."

"I remember everyone that died in that battle. They still haunt me to this day."

"AS THEY SHOULD!" he bellows. "My daughter was nineteen when she died. NINETEEN! She'll never fall in love, she'll never get her dream job, she'll never get to travel the world the way she wanted to because she's dead! All because of _you_!"

"Teigan, please, you have to understand what happened that day was an accident-"

"An accident that could have been prevented if you hadn't been so hasty! She would be alive today if you had just thought for one bloody second before storming in there!"

"Nick, I-"

"That's enough talking," he says and the next thing I know, I drop my wand and I'm on the floor in excruciating pain, screaming for my life.

* * *

 **Draco:**

We arrive at the creepiest amusement park I've ever seen. Granted, it's the _only_ amusement park I've ever seen so that doesn't help.

"Where the bloody hell are we?" Weasley asks.

" _Holliday's Inn_ ," Potter answers. "This place used to be huge back in the day but after someone died due to an attraction accident, the place was shut down. It hasn't been in use for over two decades."

"Hm, charming," I say. "How the hell are we supposed to find Hermione in this place? It's huge!"

"We could split up," Potter suggests. "Start looking in different areas of the park."

I'm about to respond when we hear a bloodcurdling scream. It only takes me a matter of seconds to recognize that it's Hermione's. I begin to run off in the general direction of the scream, Potter and Weasley right behind me, but when it sounds again, it sounds like it's coming from a different direction.

It's not until we get further into the park, following the sound, that we realize it's coming from a deserted carousel building. "Hermione!" I yell.

With Potter and Weasley right on my tail, I take off into the building, hoping I'm not too late.

* * *

 **Hermione:**

"Nick, _please_ , she wasn't supposed to die! I didn't know she was in the line of fire!" I plead with him.

"And that's supposed to excuse it?! Explain to me, Granger, why do you get to walk free and alive every day when my daughter is buried six feet underground never to see the light of day again? Hm? Explain to me how that's fair."

"It's not but-" I'm cut off by another scream of pain. This is so much worse than Bellatrix. She used the cruciatus because to her, it was fun; for Nick, this is being used out of pure hatred and vengeance. A deadly combination that I'm now at the receiving end of. "I'm so sorry!" I sob. "I'm so, so sorry. If I could have saved her, I would have!"

"Sorry won't bring my daughter back, you bitch!"

"Neither will killing me!"

"No," he says, dropping his arm momentarily. "No, it won't. But it will make dealing with her death more bearable." He looks to Blaise and with a wave of his wand, his restraints vanish. "Kill the boy," Teigan says.

"NO!" I scream, unable to move as my body feels like it's on fire. I watch, helplessly, as Blaise makes his way over to a barely conscious Q. "Blaise, no! Listen to me! This isn't you! You're not a murderer! _PLEASE!_ Don't do this!" He crouches down in front of Q and takes his right arm and points his wand to it. He begins to mutter something I can't understand but I quickly see what he's doing: he's carving into Q's arm. Q wakes up fully only to scream in agony. "Blaise, stop!" I plead but it's no use.

Q continues to scream and I'm sobbing as I watch my friend be tortured by another friend. "You see, Granger," Teigan says, standing over me, "with the right determination, you can do anything. Pleading with Zabini won't stop him. He won't stop until Quentin is dead. And then, he's next." He crouches down in front of me and gets uncomfortably close to my face. "And you're going to watch me do the same thing to him."

Suddenly, a red light hits Blaise and he's knocked out cold, causing his torture of Q to stop and Q's screaming quiets into whimpers of pain. I don't know where that light came from, but thank Merlin it did!

"You know, as much as I'm a fan of Shakespeare," a new voice says, "I have to admit that you make Lady Macbeth seem like a walk in the park."

It's Draco!

I can barely move because I'm in so much pain and breathing feels like a chore but I still manage to speak. "Where the _hell_ have you been?" I say.

"Sorry, dear, I would have been here sooner but you know how I love to make an entrance," he replies. I can hear his smirk and I'd love nothing more than to kiss it off his face but Q's cry of pain pulls me out of my thoughts and reminds me that this isn't over yet. With Teigan distracted by Draco, I try to crawl away, despite my body screaming in pain at the smallest of movements.

"Ah, the cavalry has arrived," Teigan says, sneering at Draco. "How lovely." He looks back down at me and sees me trying to crawl away. "Oh, no, you don't. We're not done yet," he says and raises his foot only to slam it down onto my leg. I don't have to hear the snap to know that it's broken; my scream is enough of a clue.

* * *

 **Draco:**

Watching Teigan break Hermione's leg causes me to snap. Any humor that's left in me is gone as is my shock over Teigan being the killer and is replaced with blinding rage. I immediately begin to fire curses at the bastard while shouting orders to Potter and Weasley. "Potter, help Q! Weasley, cover Hermione! Leave this bastard to me."

Teigan smirks at me and I'm briefly reminded of Voldemort right before he made a kill and I'm even _more_ disgusted with this shit excuse of a human being. He wastes no time and immediately begins to fire killing curses at me. Fortunately, I'm ready for them and I've got a shield up before he can utter the spell.

For the next, I don't know how many minutes, we duel, throwing as many curses as we can to each other, him trying to kill me, me trying to severely injure him. If I didn't have so many questions, I'd kill him on the spot, but as it is, I need some answers before I break this fucker's neck.

I hear Weasley and Potter yelling back and forth to one another but I don't process what they're saying. It's not until I see a red light just barely miss Teigan that I realize what they must have been talking about: help has arrived. Keller appears by my side and begins to throw curses at Teigan along with me as other Aurors begin to either surround him or attempt to take care of Hermione, Blaise, or Q.

Finally, when I see Teigan is getting worn out, I make my final shot. Being on the receiving end of it once, I swore to myself that I'd never use this spell, but in this case, I think an exception can be made.

" _SECTUMSEMPRA!"_ I yell and suddenly, Teigan is thrown back a few feet, a pool of blood immediately forming around him. I don't realize I've moved until I'm standing over him, wand pointed at his jugular. "Game over, Teigan."

I'm about to throw a punch at him when I feel a hand rest on my shoulder. I turn to see Potter behind me. "We'll take it from here, Malfoy. Go take care of Hermione."

I nod and turn my back on Teigan. I practically run to Hermione, who's being treated by Miranda. I vaguely wonder when she got here but that's a question for another time. Right now, I need to see Hermione.

I kneel beside her and brush a curl behind her ear. "Are you okay?" I ask. Stupid question, I know, but it's the only thing I can think to say right now.

She's shaking but manages a nod. "Yeah. You?"

I nod. "You scared me when I saw you were gone, you know. I thought I was going to lose you again."

She shakes her head. "No, not in this lifetime, Malfoy. It's you and me now and forever until the sun burns up, remember?"

I choke back some tears and smile before lowering my head to hers and kissing her softly. When I pull back, I see that she's crying and I wipe the tears away. "Hey, it's okay," I reassure her. "It's over; we won." She smiles and squeezes my hand tightly. I pull her hands to my lips and kiss them lightly.

"Draco, I-"

"Shh," I place my finger over her lips. "Don't worry about anything right now, okay? Just rest. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. Not now, not ever."

"Okay," she says quietly before her eyes close and she passes out from a mix of exhaustion and the pain.

I stay with her now and all the way on the trip to the hospital, holding her hand the entire time.

* * *

 ** _Bravo to everyone who guessed Teigan (I realize I made it a little obvious but still, nice job)! Huge shoutout to Colubrina for answering all my questions and helping me determine whether or not I should go with my gut on if Teigan should be the killer. If you haven't read any of her stories, go do it. She's fabulous!_**

 ** _Two more chapters to go and then TCC is done!_**

 ** _Please review!_**


	32. Chapter 31

_**A/N: It's snowing today! Yay!**_

 ** _So I got a variety of reviews in regards to the last chapter but most of them were positive so thank you for that. I'm so glad you guys liked it! Please keep your reviews coming, as they make my day!_**

 ** _Tallyho!_**

* * *

 **Chapter 31: Hermione**

I wake up in St. Mungo's- _again_ \- with Draco lying beside me, playing with my hair. He smiles at me when he sees that I'm awake. "Hey," he says.

"Hey," I reply, my voice cracking. "What happened?" I ask.

"You've been out for two days; the Healers had to give you a strong sedative so that you wouldn't wake up while they were healing you. Your leg was snapped in two but the Healers managed to reset it and heal the bone without using Skele-gro. Your entire body nearly shut down from being in so much pain from the cruciatus but with a lot of spellwork, they managed to get your body to calm down enough that they could feed you some potions that would ease the pain."

"That would explain why I feel so sluggish," I say.

He chuckles. "You're going to feel like that for a couple days. I've also been instructed to put you on bedrest after you're released for at least a week, so your body can heal properly."

I nod in agreement. "How's Blaise and Q?"

"Blaise will be fine, though it's possible he might need to see a psychiatrist after he's released. Apparently, he remembers _everything_ that he did and he's, understandably, very traumatized and upset. As for Q, he's going to be fine, although he will be in the hospital longer than either you or Blaise. The Healers have managed to heal the scars from the carvings that Blaise did but he suffered a strong concussion, had internal bleeding in his abdomen, and they can't quite figure out what to do about his missing fingers. I think they're going to leave his hand the way it is; knowing Q, he'll treat it as a battle scar."

I chuckle. "He's always been one for dramatics, I'll admit."

Draco nods in agreement. "Keller's in the room with him and has refused to leave ever since we got you out of that damn carousel building. Apparently, they're together."

"Really?" I say. "Well, I suppose that makes sense; those two always were really close." Draco shrugs.

"Was I hallucinating or was Miranda there too?" I say and Draco chuckles.

"Yeah, she was there. Apparently, the second-in-command at the U.S. ministry sent her over to check on the progress of the case. As it so happened, when she showed up was right when Keller was gathering backup so we could rescue you. She tagged along with the team to help out any way she could. She's been with Blaise since he was admitted into the hospital. For whatever reason, she's the only one he'll really talk to so she's been getting whatever information she can from him."

I nod then furrow my brows as another thought crosses my mind. "What happened to Teigan?" I ask. "And Theo?"

"Teigan's in custody, awaiting final questioning before his sentence. Potter broke his wand in half and he's under guard supervision at all times." I can tell Draco's still angry but he's reigning it in so as not to explode. "As for Theo, he was released the second we brought Teigan in. His wand was returned to him and he's been cleared of all charges. He's going to go back to therapy and get the proper treatment he needs and I'm going to sponsor him. It'll take time but he's gonna try to get better."

I smile and squeeze his hand. "That's great, Draco."

"He's actually outside right now, with my parents. They want to see you."

I sit up and pull my hair back into a messy braid. "Okay, send them in."

"Your sure?" he asks.

I give him a gentle kiss and nod. "Yeah, I'm sure."

"Okay," he says and gets up to open the door. I hear him say "She's awake," and suddenly, my room is full of people. Theo, Narcissa, Lucius, Ginny, and even Jacqueline are here to see how I am. The second I see Theo, though, I pull him into a tight hug which he returns happily.

"Thank you," he says in my ear. "Thank you for not giving up on me."

I pull out of the hug and smile at him. "Anytime."

I lean into Draco as he sits on the other side of me and Ginny and Jacque begin to ask me questions while Narcissa fusses over me, adding more pillows than necessary, while Theo and Lucius stay in the back but are here for moral support anyway. I can't help but laugh when Ginny and Narcissa begin to argue with my Healer when she tries to kick everyone out so she can do some tests. They only leave after I send them out, promising them they can come back in after the Healer's done.

"Well, Miss Granger, I'm happy to say you'll make a full recovery. We just have to give you your final dosage of pain potions and you can be released first thing in the morning," my Healer says once she's done checking for any leftover damage.

"Thank you Healer Adams," I smile and she walks out of the room, leaving Draco and myself alone.

"Draco, before you go let everyone else back in, I was hoping to run something by you," I say, squeezing his hand as my heart begins to beat faster due to nerves.

"Sure, love, what is it?"

I take a deep breath before speaking. "I- I want to leave the Aurors."

"You what?" he asks.

I sigh. "This whole thing with Teigan has really put a lot of things into perspective for me and I realize that I can't do this anymore. This isn't where I belong; I don't think it ever was. Once Teigan's trial is over and he's behind bars, I'm going to request a transfer to Magical Creature Regulation. It's what I've always been passionate about, anyway."

Draco chuckles, which surprises me. "You know, it freaks me out how in tune we are with each other sometimes," he says.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"While you were out, Dad approached me about leaving the Aurors behind and taking over the family business. I'd be able to work from home, my hours wouldn't be as ridiculous, and it would be a lot less stressful than this. I admit, I was tempted by the idea but I didn't give him an answer as I wanted to run it by you first."

"I think it sounds great," I say, enthusiastically. "I think you should do it!"

He smiles and kisses my fingers. "And I think you should ask for the transfer; I know you'll be happier there in the long run."

I nod. "So, then it's decided?"

He kisses me lightly and smiles. "It's decided."

* * *

As I sit in the interrogation room with Teigan for, hopefully, the last time, I can't help but feel sorry for this man. Yes, he's a murderer and most likely a sadist but at the end of the day, he's a man grieving for the loss of his child. I can relate to that far too well, and more than I'd like to. But I still understand him.

We sit in silence as we stare at each other, daring the other to speak first. Finally, I speak. "I understand, you know. The burning desire to hurt those who wronged you. I understand that a lot better than I would like to." He says nothing. "Recently, I found out I was pregnant; my first. I hadn't told Draco because I had been worried about how he would react. So before I told him, I made an appointment with a Healer to double check the test. But I would never get that far; when I was hit with the impact from the explosion, it was too much for my body to handle. I lost the baby.

His eyes flash for a second, I swear I can see sympathy in his eyes; and then it's back to pure hatred. I continue. "Draco and I were devastated; I cried for days. It was only late at night, long after Draco had fallen asleep and the tears had stopped, that I felt the anger you feel now. I was furious. I want vengeance for the child I would never know. At times, I wished Morrison hadn't been dead only so I could kill him myself.

"But then, I remembered that killing or hurting someone who wronged you doesn't fix anything. You'll feel better for a short time but in the end, that hurt is still there. It will always be there. You just have to choose whether you'll heal from it or you'll let it destroy you."

He scoffs. "Save your philosophy for someone who cares, Granger. I don't regret what I did. The only thing I _do_ regret is not killing you when I had the chance."

Well, it's good to see that the Veritaserum is working. I sigh and shake my head. "I just need you to answer a few more questions for me: the first one is how long did you have Blaise under the Imperius?"

"Anytime he was missing during the case and the day of the explosion up until you all ruined my plans."

"What spell did you use to wipe Theo's memories? I've never seen anything like it."

He rolls his eyes. "The memory charm I used on him was initially designed to help psychotic patients in old insane asylums. It wipes their memories completely clean, allowing the patient to be calmer. It's very similar to a lobotomy except the patient isn't left in a catatonic state."

I nod and write down some notes. "What happened to Theo during the time that his memories are missing?"

"Nothing; that is, he didn't _do_ anything. I tried to get him to kill Morrison for me but he resisted, even under the Imperius. Eventually, I gave up, body bound and silenced him and made him watch as I killed Morrison slowly and painfully. Afterwards, I wiped his memory and deposited him in the alley a few blocks down."

I nod and close up the file. "Thank you for your cooperation," I say, standing up and preparing to leave. I look back at him and sigh. "Nick, I take full responsibility for rushing into that house, far more unprepared than I was ready to admit. But you should know, I went back and looked at the autopsy report from the day Jennifer died. The curse that killed your daughter didn't come from any of my team members. It came from the murderer's." I swallow hard before I utter my last sentence. "She did die protecting another hostage; but she was killed right before we stormed the place. I couldn't have saved her, even if I had wanted to. She was already gone."

And with that, I walk out, leaving an angry and broken man even more broken than before. I almost didn't tell him that fact, thinking it would be better for him to hate me rather than know the truth. But then I thought about it through the perspective of someone who had lost a child recently; and I realized that he deserved to know the truth, no matter how hard it hurts.

I walk back to my office to find Draco waiting for me. Immediately I run into his open arms and cry as a great weight is lifted off my shoulders. It's over, it's finally over. We won; we're safe.

When I finally calm down, Draco kisses the top of my head and squeezes my shoulders. "Let's go home," he says.

And when I look up at him and return his smile, I know that I already am.

* * *

 ** _Last chapter will be posted tomorrow!_**

 ** _Please review!_**


	33. Epilogue

_**A/N: Well, this is it: the final chapter. You guys have been so great; thank you all for your wonderful reviews and follows/favorites. To top it off, I reached over 200 reviews on this story yesterday! That made my day, thank you guys so much!**_

 ** _Someone asked if I had anything else in the works right now: currently, it's just my Harmony story but I do have a few ideas running around in my head for Dramione so you'll hear from me again soon. You guys are the best and I hope you like this final chapter._**

 ** _Tallyho!  
_**

* * *

 **Epilogue: Ten Years Later**

Ten years. A lot can happen in ten years; hell, a lot _has_ happened. But as I sit on the porch swing, wrapped in Draco's arms, enjoying a beautiful summer evening, I wouldn't change a thing.

I don't like to dwell on the past too much, but for old time's sake, let's take a look back, shall we?

* * *

 _The first few weeks after the Gemini Hunter case closed, everything kind of blurred together. My transfer request was approved and I moved into my new office in the Regulation of Magical Creatures department while Draco gave his resignation and began to run his family business. Harry was a little disappointed at our leaving but he understood, especially after what we had been through._

 _About a month after Draco and I leave the Aurors, we hold a small party at our place with just some friends. It's here that Ginny announces that she's pregnant! Harry nearly cries with happiness and I practically tackle her into a bear hug._

" _I'm so happy for you!" I say, later._

" _Thank you," she smiles but then it falls and she squeezes my hand. "Are you okay?"_

 _I nod. "I'm great! Really, Gin, I'm so happy for you. Don't worry about me; when it's time for Draco and I have a kid, it'll be when we're ready. And in a far less stressful situation."_

 _She laughs. "I'm glad to hear that Hermione. Especially since I want you to be the godmother to the baby."_

 _I squeal with excitement and hug her, accepting wholeheartedly._

* * *

James Sirius Potter was born three days before my birthday that September and he has been causing trouble ever since. While I love my godson, he lives up to his namesake a little too well. But he's sweet and very protective of his other siblings; that is, when he's not driving them crazy. It freaks me out that he starts Hogwarts this year. Time really does fly.

Speaking of time flying, August marks mine and Draco's ten year wedding anniversary.

* * *

 _I've probably been the most relaxed bride you've ever met. But, after everything Draco and I have been through this past year, freaking out over something so trivial as flower arrangements and music is a walk in the park. Besides, Narcissa has basically taken the job of wedding planner to heart so, knowing her, everything will be perfect._

 _After_ _ **a lot**_ _of discussion, I allowed Narcissa to hold the wedding in the Manor gardens on the condition that the guest list did not exceed one hundred people (I didn't even know I_ _ **knew**_ _that many people) and she agreed- although Ginny just went outside and said that she suspects that there's more than a hundred people here. Figures._

 _My wedding party is small: Ginny, my matron of honor, and Jacque and Luna as my bridesmaids. I picked out simple bridesmaids dresses that would fit all of them- especially Ginny since she's due next month; they're navy blue, v-necks that stop just above their knees with capped sleeves. Very classy but can still be reused at a later date (I stole that from Luna)._

 _As for my wedding dress, gods, I get breathless just looking at it. Ginny and I stumbled upon it while looking for bridesmaids dresses and just fell in love. I bought it on the spot. It's silvery white, v-neck on both sides, with beautiful flower beading that covers the front v-neck and leads to a belt that goes around my waist and back up the sides of the v-neck on the back; the sleeves are a soft, see-through material that's covered with more beading. Narcissa was more than a little surprised at my wedding dress choice but after I tried it on, she understood why I fell in love with it: it's not the most typical wedding dress, true, but I feel beautiful in it. Besides, whoever said I liked typical, anyway?_

 _With the help of Ginny and Jacque, I manage to put my dress on without smudging my makeup and then sit down so Luna can finish my hair. We've put it up in a bun with some braids mixed in and now, Luna is putting small flowers in my hair to match with the dress. When she's finished, she has me stand in front of the full length mirror and I nearly break down into tears._

 _I'm beautiful; and I mean that in the least conceited way possible._

 _After Hogwarts, I began to get more comfortable in my skin and embrace myself as a woman; but even then, I only ever thought of myself as pretty. Now, though, now I feel like the most beautiful woman on the planet._

 _A knock at the door brings me out of my thoughts. "Come in," I say, my voice cracking._

" _You ladies decent?" Theo says, poking his head in. He's come quite a long way since the Gemini Hunter case. He got some better help with better medications and, with a lot of patience and time and dedication, he's overcoming his depression. It's been a process and not an easy one but he's doing it and I couldn't be more proud of him. We've all become really close- he's like a brother to me, now- but the one that surprised us all was Luna._

 _From the second they met, they just had this connection that couldn't be broken. She saw what was really going on with him and, almost immediately, she got him to open up to her about everything. She's been really good for him: he's been smiling more, he's laughing, he's able to stay focused longer which has allowed him to keep a job longer (he's been working at_ The Quibbler _for a couple months now)._

 _We're all pretty sure that they're falling in love with each other but only time will tell if they'll act on their feelings._

 _I smile at Theo and nod. "Physically, at least. I'm kind of a wreck emotionally."_

 _He smiles and walks towards me and gives me a hug. "You look beautiful," he says. "And I have something for you." He pulls something wrapped in a handkerchief out of his pocket. "It's from Draco." He unwraps the handkerchief and I'm left breathless as I look at the beautiful pair of diamond earrings lying underneath. "For your something new," Theo says, smiling._

 _Ginny whistles next to me. "Damn; you gotta admit, the man knows his jewelry."_

 _I chuckle and take the earrings and put them on. "The perfect bride," Ginny says, grinning._

" _Not yet!" Narcissa says, walking into the room and clipping a veil into my hair. "This veil was mine when I got married. I had Jacque tweak it a bit to make it more appropriate for the dress but consider this your something borrowed."_

 _I smile and squeeze her hand. "Thank you, Narcissa."_

" _What's your something old, Hermione?" Luna asks, her arm linked with Theo's._

 _I smile and lift the dress to show off my shoes. "These were my mother's wedding shoes. I figured she wouldn't mind if I used them for my wedding."_

" _I'm sure she'd be honored," Narcissa smiles._

" _And, I take it we're your something blue?" Jacque says, referring to the bridesmaid's dresses. I laugh and nod and Jacque grins, approving of my idea._

 _There's another knock at the door and Harry pokes his head in. "We're ready."_

 _I take a deep breath and watch as everyone else leaves to start the ceremony. Harry stays behind, however, waiting for me. I asked him to walk me down the aisle since he's the closest thing to a brother I have- although I have Theo, now, too. But not only is he walking me down the aisle, he's also Draco's best man._

 _I was surprised when Draco told me that he wanted Harry to be his best man but he explained that, despite their differences, they really have become good friends over the years and it just felt right for him to have Harry by his side on our big day. I couldn't argue with that._

 _Harry smiles at me and takes my hands in his. "You look beautiful," he says._

 _I smile. "Thanks, Harry."_

" _You ready?"_

 _I nod, confident. "More than ready."_

* * *

It was a beautiful ceremony and the reception was amazing; Narcissa really outdid herself. Arthur officiated the wedding ceremony and Daniel and Q (who got married about four years ago) _insisted_ on playing DJs for the evening. I agreed only because I trusted their taste in music; more than once that night, I questioned whether or not that had been a good idea.

I ended up sharing a dance with Lucius during the parent's dance and it went a lot smoother than I expected. He was really sweet and welcomed me to the family with open arms, something I couldn't stop grinning about afterwards. We've gotten along famously ever since.

I got to share a dance with Theo, Harry, Q, Daniel, and even Blaise (who had stuck close to Miranda- his girlfriend by that time- the entire night) before staying in Draco's arms the rest of the night.

Over the past ten years, our marriage, like any other, has had it's highs and lows. We fought, we cried, we nearly hexed each other even; but he never left. And neither did I. We pushed through and I know, for the rest of our lives, we'll keep pushing through because we love each other and that's what you do when you love someone: you push through the bullshit.

I sigh and snuggle closer to Draco as I think about how far we've come. He kisses the top of my head and rests his hand on my bulging stomach.

Yes, I'm pregnant. But it's not my first; hell, it's not even my second.

Believe it or not, I'm pregnant with mine and Draco's _fourth_ child! Yes, you read that right: three kids and a fourth on the way. Did I mention they're all under the age of ten? We have quite the busy household, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Our oldest, Noah, turns nine in November. When I was pregnant with him, Draco nearly lost his mind making sure I was always comfortable and okay. I know he was worried about me; especially after the miscarriage fiasco during the case but the pregnancy could not have gone any smoother. Even when I gave birth to him, the labor was ridiculously short. Draco was a mess the entire time but after he held Noah in his arms for the first time, I knew he'd be okay. Fortunately, after Noah was born with no problems, Draco calmed quite a bit when I became pregnant with our other children.

Noah's a spitting image of Draco except for the softer features and small amount of freckles he inherited from me. He's definitely a spitfire and has both his grandparents wrapped around his fingers. Let me tell you, watching Lucius Malfoy carry a four year old around on his back while making horse noises was one of the funniest things I'd ever seen. I'm never letting him live that down.

There's a bit of a debate going on between all of us about which house he'll get into but my gut is telling me Slytherin. There's a lot that Noah gets from me but he's far too much like his father to be in any other house. No matter where he ends up, I'll be proud of him.

Our seven year old, Sybil, shares a birthday with Ginny and Harry's youngest, Lily. Because Ginny and I got pregnant around the same time, we decided to everything in regards to our babies together: baby showers, baby shopping, even nursery planning. We weren't expecting to go into labor at the same time, though. Ginny was due before me but I went into labor about a month earlier than planned. Fortunately, my baby girl was born incredibly healthy, as was Lily. The girls are the best of friends and are practically joined at the hip. The debates haven't started yet, but Ginny and I are almost positive that both of them are going to end up in Gryffindor together.

Where Noah looks just like Draco, Sybil looks just like me, except her curly hair is far more manageable than mine, thank Merlin! She acts like me too which kills Draco. Any time she and Noah start fighting, she does exactly what I do when I'm mad at Draco: hands on hips, stern voice, and "the glare that could kill," (Draco's words, not mine). I have to admit, though, it is pretty hilarious.

Our current youngest, Lucas, just turned three back in March. Like Sybil, he also inherited my curly hair but he has Draco's eyes. He's also the wildcard in the family because some days he's like me, other days he's like Draco, and some days, he's his own person. It'll be interesting to see who he turns out to be more like as he grows.

Oh, and he also has the metamorphmagus gene and has already become Teddy's protege. Currently, Lucas has become fascinated by Teddy's blue hair and keeps trying to emulate but he keeps coming up with purple (which looks adorable on him, by the way). He'll get it eventually.

I'm just glad that Teddy won't be at Hogwarts by the time that Lucas gets there; Heaven knows what kind of trouble those two would get into.

A small kick on my stomach pulls me from my thoughts and I adjust myself to a more comfortable position.

"Comfy?" Draco asks.

I smile and nod. "Yeah, I think she's just restless."

Oh, did I forget to mention that? We're having another girl. We've yet to decide on a name, though. Nothing that we've thought about seems right for her. I've accepted the fact that we may not know until we meet her.

As if reading my mind, Draco brings the topic up. "How do you feel about Grace?"

I think about it for a moment. "I like it."

"I do too; it's the first one I've thought of that seems like it could fit."

I rest my hand on my stomach and smile. "What do you think, little one? Is Grace the one for you?"

Both Draco and I feel the small kick in response and we laugh. "I think she approves, love," I say.

He smiles. "So it's decided?"

I return his smile. "It's decided."

* * *

Baby Grace is born two months later and is absolutely perfect. She has a full head of platinum blonde hair and dark brown eyes. The moment she wraps her small hand around my finger, I'm in love.

When Draco brings the kids into the room to meet their new sister, they're all very excited. Having done this before, Noah and Sybil are very gentle around Grace but Draco has to make a point to pull a pink-haired (in honor of the birth of his sister) Lucas aside and explain that because she's so small and fragile, she won't be able to play with him for a while. He seems disappointed that he can't play with her right away but understands that he needs to be gentle and treats her like a beloved toy. He lightly kisses her forehead and I nearly tear up at the tenderness behind his gestures.

After the kids and grandparents have met the newest Malfoy, Narcissa and Lucius take the kids back to the Manor for a couple days while Draco and I get adjusted to having the new baby at home.

As we lie in bed tonight, facing each other with a sleeping baby Grace between us, I smile.

"What?" Draco asks.

I shake my head. "Nothing; just thinking about us."

"What about us?"

I caress his face with my hand. "Just how far we've come since our Auror days."

He smiles and kisses my palm. "I'm proud of us for how far we've come."

"Me too," I say.

"And now, onto the next adventure," he jokes and I chuckle.

"As long as I'm with you, I'm ready for any adventure that might be coming," I say.

He runs his hand along my arm, soothingly. "I love you, you know," he says.

"I know," I reply. I sit up and lean over Grace to kiss him gently. "I love you too."

 **The End.**

* * *

 ** _Hope you liked it! Hermione's wedding dress and the bridesmaid dresses are on the TCC Pinterest board._**

 ** _Please review!_**


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